Phyllis tells of her pregnancy 'panic' over being older mum
Scots actress Phyllis Logan has told of the ‘amazing’ experience of having her first child at the age of 40 after spending years not wanting one.
The star, who plays housekeeper Mrs Hughes in hit period drama Downton Abbey, told how she was ‘hellishly nervous’ at the prospect.
But the now 69-year-old, who has one son David with actor husband Kevin McNally, also 69, said despite the initial panic it was ‘amazing in the end’.
The Paisley-born star told Prima magazine: ‘I never really had a yearning to have children - until I met Kevin.
‘I was so excited, but hellishly nervous, too, realising I’d be 40-years-old by the time the baby was born.
‘We didn’t know if it would be a boy or a girl and I suddenly got a wee bit panicked.
‘Kevin always says the right thing, putting it all into perspective - and it was amazing in the end.’
She married the English actor, who is best known for appearing in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series as Joshamee Gibbs, in 2011 after 17 years of being engaged to each other.
Phyllis Logan had her son when she was 40-years-old
Phyllis Logan has told of the ‘amazing’ experience of having her first child at the age of 40
Phyllis Logan is married Pirates of the Caribbean actor Kevin McNally
Logan said: ‘Time ran away as our jobs got really busy, and then our family started.
‘It was particularly difficult when he was doing Pirates of the Caribbean - he was far away for so long and our son David was very young.
‘We used to say, “We’ll never be apart for longer than four weeks.” Four weeks became five, five became six.
‘But David and I would go and visit Kevin in Barbados and St Vincent in the Caribbean when we could, and on set in Los Angeles, which was always lovely.’
Logan made the comments in an interview in the October 2025 issue of Prima, which is on sale now.
