From Hollyoaks to Hollywood: Actress wins first Oscar at the Academy Awards
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Oscars
Author: Laura ThorntonPublished 5th Mar 2018
From Hollyoaks to Hollywood, Rachel Shenton is quite the success story after her Oscar win at last night’s Academy Awards. The actress, previously best known for playing Mitzeee Minniver in the Channel 4 soap, scooped the Best Live Action Short Film award for her film The Silent Child.
The Silent Child tells the story of four-year-old Libby who is profoundly deaf. Libby lives a silent life until she is taught to communicate through sign language by her social worker (played by Rachel).
The film wasn’t just written by an ex Hollyoaks actor, but also directed by one. Chris Overton, who played Liam Mitchell in the soap in 2010, encouraged Rachel to write the script and he then directed the short film.
Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton
Chris and Rachel, who are engaged, wanted the film to be authentic, and so cast Maisie Sly, who has never acted before, in the role of Libby. Maisie is profoundly deaf and can use sign language.
When accepting her Oscar, Rachel delivered her speech in sign language, a promise she had made to her six-year-old co-star.
Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton and Maisie Sly
She told the audience, “I made a promise to our six-year-old lead actress that I'd sign this speech," Rachel, best known for playing Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks, told the audience.
"My hands are shaking so I apologise. 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 particularly access to education."
Rachel was inspired to write the story after her own experiences. When Rachel was only 12-years-old her father Geoff went deaf after having chemotherapy and sadly could not hear for the last 18 months of his life.
Rachel then went on to become a qualified British Sign Language Interpreter and serves as an ambassador for the National Deaf Children's Society.
See the winners accepting their awards in our gallery:
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell's portrayal of a racist cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has proved controversial, but that didn't stop him walking away with the Best Supporting Actor statuette, his first Oscar.
From Hollyoaks to Hollywood: Actress wins first Oscar at the Academy Awards
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Best live action short: Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton and Maisie Sly
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell's portrayal of a racist cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has proved controversial, but that didn't stop him walking away with the Best Supporting Actor statuette, his first Oscar.
Costume Design: Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Given that Phantom Thread delves into the world of '50s couture, with Daniel Day Lewis playing a highly-strung design virtuoso, the costumes by regular Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Mark Bridges were always going to be a shoe-in (no pun intended) for the Costume Oscar.
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney
Allison Janney's first Oscar (for her role as LaVona Harding in I, Tonya) couldn't be more well-deserved. She beat competition from Lady Bird's Laurie Metcalf, The Shape of Water's Octavia Spencer, Phantom Thread's Lesley Manville and Mudbound's Mary J. Blige.
Best Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Veteran writer-director James Ivory is now the oldest person to win an Oscar in Academy Award history, and gave an emotive speech after picking up the Best Adapted Screenplay trophy for Call Me By Your Name.
Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele, Get Out
Writer-director Jordan Peele picked up a well-deserved first Oscar for his socially conscious horror Get Out.
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape Of Water
In his acceptance speech, Del Toro alluded to his experiences as an immigrant and stressed the importance of integration and acceptance, telling the audience that 'The best thing our industry does is to help erase the lines in the sand when the world tries to make them deeper.'
Best Actor: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Gary Oldman took his first Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which required an extensive transformation involving hours of prosthetics.
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Accepting her second Oscar (her first was for Fargo back in 1997), the brilliant Frances McDormand asked every female actress, filmmaker and artist in the room to stand before delivering a rallying cry for gender equality.
Best Picture: The Shape Of Water
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway got a second shot at presenting after last year's debacle, presenting the Best Picture award to the cast and crew of The Shape of Water.
Best live action short: Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton and Maisie Sly
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell's portrayal of a racist cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has proved controversial, but that didn't stop him walking away with the Best Supporting Actor statuette, his first Oscar.
Costume Design: Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Given that Phantom Thread delves into the world of '50s couture, with Daniel Day Lewis playing a highly-strung design virtuoso, the costumes by regular Paul Thomas Anderson collaborator Mark Bridges were always going to be a shoe-in (no pun intended) for the Costume Oscar.
Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney
Allison Janney's first Oscar (for her role as LaVona Harding in I, Tonya) couldn't be more well-deserved. She beat competition from Lady Bird's Laurie Metcalf, The Shape of Water's Octavia Spencer, Phantom Thread's Lesley Manville and Mudbound's Mary J. Blige.
Best Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Veteran writer-director James Ivory is now the oldest person to win an Oscar in Academy Award history, and gave an emotive speech after picking up the Best Adapted Screenplay trophy for Call Me By Your Name.
Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele, Get Out
Writer-director Jordan Peele picked up a well-deserved first Oscar for his socially conscious horror Get Out.
Best Director: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape Of Water
In his acceptance speech, Del Toro alluded to his experiences as an immigrant and stressed the importance of integration and acceptance, telling the audience that 'The best thing our industry does is to help erase the lines in the sand when the world tries to make them deeper.'
Best Actor: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Gary Oldman took his first Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which required an extensive transformation involving hours of prosthetics.
Best Actress: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Accepting her second Oscar (her first was for Fargo back in 1997), the brilliant Frances McDormand asked every female actress, filmmaker and artist in the room to stand before delivering a rallying cry for gender equality.
Best Picture: The Shape Of Water
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway got a second shot at presenting after last year's debacle, presenting the Best Picture award to the cast and crew of The Shape of Water.
Best live action short: Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton and Maisie Sly
On the night, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson turned heads on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair after party, however some fans noticed a big mistake on a new inking visible on the actress' arm. You can read more about that here.
