Jurnee Smollett-Bell is expecting her first child

Jurnee Smollett-Bell is expecting her first child with her husband Josiah Bell.

The 29-year-old actress, who is best-known for her starring role on the American sitcom ‘On Our Own’, has announced that the couple are preparing for the birth of their first child via her Instagram account.

Alongside a photograph of her husband musician Josiah Bell cradling her baby bump, Jurnee wrote: "He+Me+Baby= Three. So in love with this beautiful blessing God has given us. #WeArePregnant!! (sic)"

‘Empire’ star and Jurnee’s brother Jussie Smollett also expressed his joy at the announcement on Instagram.

He wrote: "My little baby is having a baby!!!!!!!! @jurneebell I remember mommy giving birth to you and now you’re about to have a baby of your own.

"I love you so so so so much. This is the most blessed event in life and you & @josiahbell are built for it. Love y’all so much. #BabyBell is coming! #UncleJussieForTheSecondTime. (sic)"

Recently, Jurnee has been filming scenes for the new US TV show ‘Underground’, which centres on the efforts of slaves to find freedom.

The actress admitted her role is very physically demanding and confessed she struggled to keep up with the fast-moving cameras.

She shared: "They would strap a camera on the back of this gator, which was a like a really rugged golf cart and you would have to chase the camera. And Anthony [Hemingway], our director, would shout, ‘Keep up!’ And it’s like, this gator, while it’s not a car, it can go much faster than I can!"

Jurnee also admitted that her on-set costumes proved to be awkward while filming action-packed scenes.

She said: "You have to do it take, after take, after take, and you’re in these corsets and your dress is like four or five layers and it’s 106 degrees in Baton Rouge in the dead of summer.

"We were swimming in swamps and trying to do as many stunts of our own as we could."