‘All Creatures’ Rachel Shenton’s Husband Directed Her Oscar Win—and Now They Have a Baby: Inside Their Real-Life Love Story
They met on a soap set, won an Oscar together and just had a baby
Academy Award-winner Rachel Shenton has built quite the career for herself over the years, first earning recognition for her work in the British soap opera Hollyoaks, and later winning an Oscar for the short film The Silent Child in 2017. Today, however, she is beloved for her role on the PBS Masterpiece series All Creatures Great and Small. Shenton stars in the series as Helen, the daughter of a local farmer who eventually steals the heart of the show’s lead character, James. While their love story on screen is sweet as can be, when the cameras aren’t rolling, the actress has found her forever in her husband, Chris Overton. Married since 2018, read all about Rachel Shenton, her husband and her child.
Who is Rachel Shenton’s husband, Chris Overton?
Rachel Shenton married her husband, Chris Overton, in 2018, but they actually met on the set of Hollyoaks, as Overton is involved in the film and television industry himself—and that wasn’t the only time they collaborated professionally! In 2017, Overton directed The Silent Child, a short film in which his wife starred in and wrote. The film told the story of a deaf child named Libby, whose family makes little effort to properly communicate with her, leaving her largely ostracized and left out of everyday life with little social interaction. Shenton stars as a social worker who begins to teach Libby British Sign Language, allowing her to communicate and connect with others in a way she wasn’t previously able to. Despite her success and growth, her parents prevent her from continuing her study of the language, leaving Shenton’s character with the heartbreaking realization that Libby will have to endure unnecessary struggles throughout her life. The film served as a lesson to audiences that deaf children can achieve whatever they wish to in life with the proper support and in 2018, it took home an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
The film was personal for Rachel Shenton, as her father lost his hearing when she was 12 years old as a result of chemotherapy to treat throat cancer. Bringing this film to life alongside a crew of inspirational folks and filmmakers meant a lot to the actress, but doing it alongside her now-husband was extra special. “The biggest thank you of all to our A- team that made this film possible…especially our incredibly talented director Chris Overton (who also happens to be my fiancé),” the actress wrote in a post on Instagram after the film’s win.
Around the time of their win, the couple tied the knot and have been enjoying life together ever since. “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!,” the actress told The Sun in 2018.
Rachel Shenton’s baby news
In 2025, Rachel Shenton and her husband welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Orson Wilde Overton. The actress actually filmed All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 while pregnant, and even returned shortly after her baby’s birth to film the Christmas special. “There was a lot of Helen’s behind a gate, and Helen’s holding something,” the actress recalled of hiding her baby bump while filming in conversation with Masterpiece. “Thankfully, all the directors and cinematographers are so brilliant that they managed to shoot it in a way that it didn’t stand out, which was nice.”
From meeting on a soap opera set to winning an Oscar together to welcoming their precious baby boy, Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton’s love story is a beautiful reminder that the best partnerships are built on shared dreams, mutual support and genuine love.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
