Laura Linney secretly gave birth to a son, Bennett Armistead. "The Big C" star is a new mom, and no one even knew she was pregnant.  Laura Linney had a baby boy, at the age of 49.

This morning representatives for the actress confirmed Laura Linney had the baby arrival on January 8. Laura, who turns 50 next month. Laura Linney was keeping her pregnancy secret from her fans. There were rumors last year that they were trying to become pregnant. Linney has not been photographed in public since June 2013.

Laura's agent told PEOPLE magazine "mother and baby are happy and healthy."

Laura Linney and her real estate agent husband Marc Schauer named their baby boy Bennett Armistead Schauer. Bennett Armistead Schauer is their first child. New York-born Laura married Colorado-born Marc in May 2009 after a three-year engagement. Actor Liam Neeson walked Laura down the aisle. Linney's father, the playwright Romulus Linney, died in 2011. The couple were as private about their wedding as they have been about this baby. At the time Laura's rep said "they are very happy."

Laura Linney is a three-time Oscar nominee. She was nominated for the Best Actress statue in "The Savages" and "You Can Count on Me" and Supporting Actress for "Kinsey." She won Emmy Awards for her work in "Wild Iris," "The Big C: Hereafter" and "John Adams," and for the comedy series "Frasier." She was also in the films "Hyde Park on the Hudson" and "Love Actually" and on TV in the miniseries "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City." Linney voices the introduction to Downton Abbey.