Hoisted 100 Feet in the Air, Then Everything Changed
Rupert Friend was mid-stunt, dangling high above a Jurassic World: Rebirth film set in London, when crew members suddenly called for him to be lowered. The 43-year-old British actor was in full action mode when he was urgently told to get down—not because of an on-set emergency, but because real life was calling. His wife, American actress and former Paralympian Aimee Mullins, was on the phone with life-altering news: her water had just broken.
“I’m hoisted up on a wire, a hundred feet in the air,” Friend recalled during a June 23 appearance on Today. “The crew start saying, ‘Get him down, get him down.’” At first confused, Friend was told that his wife needed to speak with him. “I’m like, ‘Honey, I’m a little busy,’” he joked, before realizing their baby girl was on the way. The rest of the day became a frantic, emotional blur—Friend raced to catch the final flight out of the U.K. in hopes of witnessing the birth in New York.
Despite the chaos, he didn’t make it in time. Friend ended up watching his daughter’s birth over FaceTime while stuck in an airport, surrounded by sympathetic flight crew. “I was crying my eyes out with all the air hostesses thrusting champagne at me,” he shared. It wasn’t how he pictured becoming a father, but the surreal moment was one he’ll never forget.
A Delayed Flight and a Perfectly Timed Arrival
In an unexpected twist of fate, an airline delay gave Friend the gift of being present—virtually—for his daughter’s birth. “Nearly missed the flight,” he said, describing the impossible choice: stay on FaceTime to witness his child’s arrival, or board the plane and try to get there in person. “And then that wonderful—I’ll never forget it—sound came through the airport. They said, ‘Ding-dong, your flight is delayed 20 minutes.’”
Just moments later, the couple welcomed their baby girl. Friend, alone but emotionally overwhelmed, clutched his phone in a public terminal as he heard the words every new parent longs for: “You have a baby girl.” The actor was overcome with tears, laughter, and gratitude. “She’s always gonna be a dino baby,” he smiled, referencing the fact that she was born while he was filming the latest installment of Jurassic World.
The newborn’s nickname is now a sweet inside joke between the parents, but the moment reflects something deeper—a father’s vulnerability and awe during one of life’s most raw and unrepeatable events. It wasn’t the hospital room scene Friend had hoped for, but it was unforgettable all the same.
A Private Life, a Public Heart
Though the couple is keeping their daughter’s name and photos private, Friend couldn’t help but gush over the life-changing moment on national television. He and Mullins, who married in 2016 after meeting three years earlier, are known for keeping a low profile, rarely posting about their personal lives. Yet, the actor’s emotional recounting offered a rare glimpse into the depth of their bond and the powerful entry of fatherhood into his life.
Mullins, a bilateral amputee and elite athlete, has long inspired fans both in and beyond the Paralympic community. Born with fibular hemimelia, she became the first female amputee to compete in NCAA track and field and represented the U.S. in the 1996 Paralympics. In the entertainment world, she’s recognized for playing Eleven’s mother in Stranger Things, but off-screen, she and Friend have built a quiet, resilient partnership.
As Jurassic World: Rebirth prepares to roar into theaters on July 2, the timing couldn’t be more symbolic. For Friend, the film now marks more than just another blockbuster credit—it’s tethered forever to the day he became a father. And while he may have missed the physical delivery, his emotional presence, captured in a tearful FaceTime call and a chorus of flight attendants with champagne, tells the real story: he showed up in every way that mattered.