Chris Overton

{{Infobox person

| name = Chris Overton

| image =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = England

| occupation = Actor, filmmaker

| alma_mater =

| years_active = 2000–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Rachel Shenton|2018}}

| relatives =

}}

Chris Overton is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Liam McAllister in the soap opera Hollyoaks, and for directing and co-producing the short film The Silent Child.

Early life and education

Chris Overton was born and grew up in Cannock, Staffordshire.{{cite web |first= Chris |last=Overton| title=Chris Overton: Director/producer | website=FilmFreeway | url=https://filmfreeway.com/chrisoverton | access-date=23 May 2025}}

Career

In 2010 Overton played Liam McAllister, a former footballer who became a cage fighter, in Hollyoaks.{{cite web | last=Paterson | first=Colin | title=The Silent Child: From Hollyoaks to Hollywood? | website=BBC | date=20 January 2018 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42703651 | access-date=23 May 2025}}

In 2017 he directed a short film called The Silent Child, about a profoundly deaf four-year-old girl who is taught British sign language by a social worker, played by Rachel Fenton (who was also in Hollyoaks). The film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42788267 |title=Oscars 2018: The list of nominees in full |work=BBC News |date=23 January 2018 |accessdate=23 January 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://encounters-festival.org.uk/award-winner-interview-chris-overton/|title=Award Winner Interview: Chris Overton - Encounters Film Festival|date=15 November 2017|work=Encounters Film Festival|access-date=19 February 2018|language=en|archive-date=19 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219151730/http://encounters-festival.org.uk/award-winner-interview-chris-overton/|url-status=dead}}

His second short film as a director, Leader, was about climate change, and made using a smartphone. It had its world premiere at the SmartFone Flick Fest in Sydney, Australia.{{cite web | last=Gbogbo | first=Mawunyo | title=Films shot on mobile phones to be screened from Australia at international festival | website=ABC News | date=25 February 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-26/smartfone-flick-fest-mobile-phone-films-movies-festival/100863494 | access-date=22 May 2025}}{{cite web | title=SmartFone Flick Fest (SF3) | website=IF Magazine | date=1 March 2022 | url=https://if.com.au/event/smartfone-flick-fest-sf3/ | access-date=22 May 2025}}

Personal life

Overton married Rachel Shenton, who had co-produced and starred in The Silent Child, in a private wedding in 2018, after being in a relationship since around 2010.{{cite web | last=Parker | first=Hayley | title=Rachel's off-screen life with husband as All Creatures Great and Small returns | website=Stoke on Trent Live | date=19 September 2024 | url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/rachel-shentons-famous-husband-oscar-9567298 | access-date=23 May 2025}}{{cite web | last=Parker | first=Hayley | last2=Palmer | first2=Katie | title=Rachel Shenton's off-screen life with famous husband | website=Stoke on Trent Live | date=12 August 2024 | url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/creatures-great-small-star-rachel-9477433 | access-date=23 May 2025}}

Filmography

=Actor=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2001 \| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone \| \| Video game; voices only
2003 \| The Big Read \| Will Parry \|
rowspan="3"\| 2004 \| The Brief \| Ryan Eltham \|
The Phantom of the Opera \| Young Phantom \|Feature film
Doctors \| Alex Cummings \| TV series
rowspan="2"\| 2005 \| Oliver Twist \| Noah Claypole \|Feature film
The Mysti Show \| Jack \|
2009 \| Doctors \| Nick Fenwright \|TV series
rowspan="3"\| 2010 \| A Touch of Frost \| Sean Berland \|TV series
Hollyoaks Later \| Liam McAllister \| TV series
Hollyoaks \| Liam \|TV series
2011 \| Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps \| Graham \|
rowspan="2"\| 2012 \| Casualty \| James Bowman \|TV series
DCI Banks \| Tyler Judd \|TV series
rowspan="3"\| 2013 \| Dalston Heath \| Finn \| Short film
WPC 56 \| PC Eddie Coulson \|
Prisoner's Wives \| Blake Fenner \|
2014 \| Pride \| Reggie Blennerhassett \| Feature film
2015 \| Drifters \| Maggot \| TV series. Series 3 episode 5: "Plus One"
2019 \| A Glimpse \| Alex \| Short film

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2001

| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

| Video game; voices only

2003

| The Big Read

| Will Parry

rowspan="3"| 2004

| The Brief

| Ryan Eltham

The Phantom of the Opera

| Young Phantom

|Feature film

Doctors

| Alex Cummings

| TV series

rowspan="2"| 2005

| Oliver Twist

| Noah Claypole

|Feature film

The Mysti Show

| Jack

2009

| Doctors

| Nick Fenwright

|TV series

rowspan="3"| 2010

| A Touch of Frost

| Sean Berland

|TV series

Hollyoaks Later

| Liam McAllister

| TV series

Hollyoaks

| Liam

|TV series

2011

| Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

| Graham

rowspan="2"| 2012

| Casualty

| James Bowman

|TV series

DCI Banks

| Tyler Judd

|TV series

rowspan="3"| 2013

| Dalston Heath

| Finn

| Short film

WPC 56

| PC Eddie Coulson

Prisoner's Wives

| Blake Fenner

2014

| Pride

| Reggie Blennerhassett

| Feature film

2015

| Drifters

| Maggot

| TV series. Series 3 episode 5: "Plus One"

2019

| A Glimpse

| Alex

| Short film

=Director=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2017 \| The Silent Child \| Short film
2022 \| Leader \| Short film made on a smartphone

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2017

| The Silent Child

| Short film

2022

| Leader

| Short film made on a smartphone