The insanely cringey and absolutely genius Hulu show Pen15 is back with more episodes. Nearly a year after Season 2 began airing in September 2020, the series is making its return with an animated special, with more episodes to follow.
Fans know the tween protagonists are played by thirty-somethings Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine, who seem to be just as close in real life as they appear on our TVs.
In fact, the best friends had twin pandemic pregnancies and have recently welcomed their newborns who they’re hopeful will also become “future bffs.” So, what are Maya and Anna’s babies’ names? Here’s what you need to know!
What are the ‘Pen15’ actresses’ babies’ names?
Maya hasn’t updated followers on Instagram about her little one since posting her baby bump in November 2020. Anna’s last family-related update came in January, when she captioned a post, “It only took me nine months to post but the family is expanding any second now.” However, both best friends are now mothers!
In May, they spoke to Vogue about their “twin pandemic pregnancies,” after Anna had already given birth to daughter Essie Wunderle Anfanger, and Maya herself wasn’t too far off from welcoming her son. Speaking of how she chose the name “Essie Wunderle” for her daughter, Anna explained, “The middle name comes from my dad’s side of the family, in honor of him. The Wunderles were known to have strong, forward-thinking women.”
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“And my great-great-grandfather, also a Wunderle, went from selling sweets from a street cart to having a large factory where candy corn was invented,” she continued. “Hopefully, she (Essie) will appreciate the name instead of resenting us for giving her something difficult to spell.”
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As for Maya, she named her son Leon Fredrick, but not much else is known about the baby (or the origins of his name) since he was born after she and Anna sat down with Vogue.
She did delve into what it was like to learn she’s pregnant during the pandemic, though.
Source: Getty Imags
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“I found out at Michael’s parents’ house in late July,” Maya told the outlet. “I told Anna once I went to the doctor to confirm, so I think that was August. I had told her that Michael and I were going to start trying, and then told her in person, socially distanced at a park, and then told all our friends in the ocean as a wave overtook us — again, socially distanced at the beach. It was very dramatic.”
Maya’s fiancé is actor Michael Angarano, who plays Jack’s brother in flashback scenes on This Is Us. Anna is engaged to marry writer and actor, Alex Anfanger, who appears in the series Cake and was a writer for Big Time in Hollywood, FL and Next Time on Lonny.
We are overjoyed for Maya, Anna, and their families, and can’t wait to see the second generation of BFFs!