Acting duo Holly & Emmett ‘MARRIAGE CAN WAIT!’
The Millennial Jenny co-stars won’t tie the knot any time soon, but their other true love is taking off!
Cosying up on a comfy couch in their neat-asa-pin Auckland home, powerhouse acting duo Holly Shervey and Emmett Skilton are the picture of domestic bliss, sharing loving looks and little in-jokes as they sip on glasses of Berocca while we prep for our Woman’s Day shoot.
Life is still pretty sweet for the couple almost five years on from their romantic sunset engagement, when Emmett surprised his girlfriend by getting down on one knee in front of LA’s famed Beverly Hills Greystone Mansion. It was very much a Hollywood moment, but Holly, 32, confesses, “We’d never even talked about
getting married! I was still wondering what stage we were at, but I was totally in love, so I said yes.”
Looking coyly down at her left hand, the Shortland Street and Mean Mums actress notes she’s not wearing her ring, but it’s not a sign of trouble in paradise – she simply took it off for a recent audition. However, with misty eyes, Holly admits that their dream wedding has been shelved.
That pesky pandemic sweeping the globe is one reason for the delay – and some overseas acting commitments added complications. But the main reason the big day might be some time away is the fact they’re both busy dealing with the success of their hugely popular Instagrambased comedy series Millennial Jenny, which has just entered its fifth “cycle”.
“Over the past four or five years, something always gets in the way – one of us will be travelling or working,” tells Almighty Johnsons and Auckward Love actor Emmett, 33. “We want a big celebration with all our family, and our
Kiwi and American friends, but it’s got to be perfect timing.”
At this stage, they do have a date – December 18, which is Holly’s birthday and the anniversary of their first date – but it could be this year, in 2022 or as far away as 2030.
“We have lots of ideas,” says Holly, whose Amsterdambased sister will play a big part in their special day as wedding planner. “I mean, we’d only just been to a friend’s wedding in LA before COVID stopped everything and it was so full of romance.”
“But it’ll definitely happen here in New Zealand, in Auckland or Queenstown, when global travel opens up,” adds her fiancé. “We might even get matching tattoos.”
At this stage, Holly only has an “imaginary tattoo” (she told a little white lie about having one when she first met Emmett in the hope he’d like her more!), while her hubbyto-be already sports several bespoke designs, including a wave on one pec, a piece of prose on the other and a skull with holly leaves on his ribcage.
Speaking of Emmett’s body, the vegan star recently had to pile on 18kg to play a largerthan-life football coach in the US comedy series Young Rock, based on the life of wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which filmed in Queensland with a cast full of Kiwis.
“The producers didn’t ask me to put on the weight, but
‘We want a big celebration with all our family and friends’
I offered and they were keen,” tells Emmett. “It was easy to gain – I just ate doughnuts and more meals. It was fun, but it was harder to lose it again. I lost most of the weight by cutting carbs and exercising hard during my two-week quarantine back here in New Zealand.”
Of working with The Rock, he says, “It was an absolutely incredible experience and a real honour.”
While Emmett was counting calories, Holly was focused on Millennial Jenny, which she created and Emmett directs. She still can’t believe the hilarious series has just been selected to screen at two big industry events, the Rome Independent Cinema Festival and LA’s Sunset Film Festival.
But Emmett insists he always knew it would be a hit, as his bride-to-be explains they’ve just secured a meeting they hope will lead to longer episodes and an even bigger audience.
“A Kiwi production company picked it up and now we’re pitching it to international networks,” she beams, adding that the ultimate goal is a primetime TV deal and maybe even merchandise, like a doll of Holly’s title character.
Emmett says proudly, “The show is all from Holly’s beautiful head.” They have a talented cast and crew helping them out but, he adds, “When it comes to final filming, it all starts with Holly and me.”
The series follows Jenny as she deals with the realities of working in an office full of quirky characters. It’s relatable, laugh-out-loud funny and an all-round great watch. The show’s followers adore it, and Holly and Emmett were particularly proud to learn Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a fan.
“I’m so stoked,” says Holly. “It kind of started out as fun idea we wanted to explore on my Instagram and people just loved it – now it’s a thing! Viewers even send in ideas for storylines. It’s pretty damn special.”