Rachel Shenton

There are things like the importance of having a showreel, a headshot, a cover note, a tailored CV - these are all really important when you are trying out for roles.

I like to think my accent isn't strong enough, but it's funny: I get people coming up to me in America and saying I sound like Mel B. She's from Leeds. They just hear a British accent and probably can't quite work it out.

I'm extremely proud of 'Hollyoaks.' No one could be flying the flag more happily.

Everybody should learn sign language or, at least, 'Hello, do you need help? How are you?'

It's really important to remember that disability is diversity, and that disabled actors and disabilities are something that is hugely under-represented in film.

'Hollyoaks' really is such a great place to work, and there was nothing bad whatsoever about my time there. I loved my job, I loved everybody that I worked with, and I was blessed with great story lines.

I think I'd really enjoy doing some more theatre, because that's where I started off.

The 3,000th episode is a great milestone for 'Hollyoaks,' so it was just really nice and a big honour to play a part in it.

When you're an actor, it's really great to be busy - that's what we all want!

There are plenty of good drama schools and academies helping children and young people to learn to sing, dance, and act.

I'm hoping I can fill a gap by helping to advise people on acting mechanics - the kinds of things that, looking back, I would have really benefited from as a teenager.

We value 'stuff' quite highly. Why? Because that 'stuff' apparently matters. Not only that, we use it as a measure of how successful we are, and as a result of that, having more of this 'stuff' often determines how people treat us.

Dad could speak with a strong voice. And luckily, he was very good at lip-reading, so he was able to disguise his deafness well. He tried various hearing aids but would find them fiddly and uncomfortable, and worse, they often made horrible high-pitched noises.

At first, I simply wanted to get a basic understanding of sign language, but as time went on, I really got the bug and wanted to become proficient so that I could make good use of my skills.

The cause is very close to my heart, and I'm proud to be supporting NDCS in helping deaf children overcome the challenges they face in everyday life.

Australia is on my to-do list - I have never been, and everyone says how wonderful it is.

I'd love to do something hard-hitting, like a lawyer or a policewoman, something like that. That would be nice.

I've seen the needless struggles that deaf children and deaf people face, and that gave me the impetus to write.

I always say deafness is a silent disability: you can't see, and it's not life-threatening, so it has to touch your life in some way in order for it to be on your radar.

Deafness and sign language are extremely close to my heart.

With the right support, a deaf child can do exactly the same as a hearing child, yet constantly, they're being failed.

I've been involved in the deaf community for years, and my friends in the community that are actors or performers get very frustrated when they see hearing people portraying a deaf role.

Living in Los Angeles is pretty cool.

I'm beyond excited to join the cast of 'Switched At Birth' and to be part of such a great show on a great network.

For me, film is an extremely powerful way of conveying a message to a mainstream audience.