Rachel Shenton is known and loved for her portrayal of Helen Alderson in the popular Channel 5 drama, All Creatures Great and Small.
The Staffordshire-born actress is a familiar face on our screens thanks to her role in the series, as well as for her parts in Hollyoaks, Switched At Birth, White Gold, and For Her Sins. But did you know that her husband also works in the industry and that the couple both won an Oscar for a short film they made together? Keep reading to find out more…
Who is Rachel Shenton’s husband?
Rachel Shenton is married to actor and filmmaker Chris Overton.
Chris, 34, has appeared in various TV shows over the course of his career, including Doctors, Hollyoaks, DCI Banks, and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Both Chris and Rachel received critical acclaim for their short film, The Silent Child, which follows a six-year-old deaf girl who lives a silent life before meeting a kind social worker. While Rachel wrote and starred in the short, Chris stepped behind the camera as director.
The couple won numerous awards for their film, including an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 2019.
During their acceptance speech, Rachel, whose father became deaf following cancer treatment, said: “Our movie is about a deaf child being born into a world of silence, it’s not exaggerated or sensationalised for the movie, this is happening, millions of children all over the world live in silence and face communication barriers and access to education.
© Photo: Getty Images“Deafness is a silent disability, it is not life threatening and you cannot see it so I want to say the biggest thank you to the Academy for allowing us to put this in front of a mainstream audience.”
Rachel drew on her own experiences for the film, having grown up with a parent who became deaf. After her father’s death, the actress learned British Sign Language and in 2011, was made ambassador for the National Deaf Children’s Society.
READ: All Creatures Great and Small star talks future of the show beyond season four
MORE: Why did the original Helen Alderson leave All Creatures Great and Small?
When did Rachel Shenton meet her husband?
Rachel and Chris first locked eyes on the set of Hollyoaks back in 2010, when the All Creatures star played Mitzeee Minniver in the Channel 4 soap and her future husband played Liam McAllister.
They went on to tie the knot eight years later following their Oscar win. Rachel told The Sun in 2018: “We got married not that long ago in amongst all the madness! It was a very private event, we wanted to keep it private, but I am so happy though. It has been a very good year, I don’t know what we are going to do next year!”
© Rachel Shenton/InstagramWhilst chatting about the couple’s future plans after winning their Academy Award, Rachel shared an insight into their home life. “I mean Chris and I are a bit boring and normal so I don’t think it has changed that much day to day really, but it has certainly changed us creatively in terms of what we want to do and the meetings we’ve found ourselves in and doors that have been opened,” she said.
“Both sides of the pond we’ve had great meetings and we are just very excited for the next projects and things.”
© Rachel Shenton/InstagramThe couple live together in Central London with their adorable Maltese Rosie, whom they welcomed into the family in 2020.
