All Creatures Great and Small stars Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton reveal the secret to their on-screen chemistry
James Herriot and Helen Alderson's love story is the heart and soul of All Creatures Great and Small. Following their fortuitous first meeting on the Darrowby bus, fans have watched as their sweet friendship blossomed into romance, culminating in an epic Christmas wedding.
When we find them in season five, it's the Spring of 1941 and James has headed to RAF Abingdon while Helen adjusts to life with their son Jimmy at Skeldale House. Needless to say, the couple has been through a lot, and after portraying them for four years, actors Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton have become good friends away from the cameras.
Asked about the secret to their on-screen chemistry, Nicholas and Rachel have opened up about their relationship behind the scenes, and it sounds like they have the best time on set.
"We actually can't stand each other so it's like the best bit of acting!" Rachel joked to HELLO!
"No, I think what happens after five years is that I know all of Nick's jokes – I know they're coming, and I thought they were hilarious for the first two seasons, not so much now!
"No, it's good. It's just always so lovely to come back," she continued. "And it's just a little luxury to get to play the same character for five seasons because you get to deepen the relationships with all of the cast, and we spend so much time together.
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"We all know each other so well now and that can only help with what we're trying to portray, which is people that have lived together for years. It honestly sounds so cheesy but we're all really excited when we get to work together again and hang out. It's good fun," noted Rachel.
"It's been half a decade, so it's a long, long time and what an absolute treat it's been," Nicholas chimed in. "We've definitely got a shorthand sometimes and inside jokes, maybe to the annoyance of people around us or the directors!"
"When you're on set you're just so comfortable and it's the same with all the cast," he explained.
"You just feel so comfortable working with each other, and that's one of the other treats of the show as well now. You get the scripts in and then you know, you message each other and you go, 'Oh, do you see that thing we got?' or 'We've got that scene coming up. That's gonna be really fun' or 'Did you see this thread we've got to play?’ That's really cool."
