Martyn Eaden is a British screenwriter and former copywriter. He was married to actress Chrissy Metz from 2008 to 2015. He also writes award-winning film and TV scripts. His work includes the horror pilot Shango and the short script Mercy. His own career has a story that goes far beyond his past marriage.
Unlike an actor, Eaden works mostly behind the scenes. He has written scripts, worked in television, and helped shape media campaigns. His interviews offer a rare look at how he builds stories and works with other people.
In this article, you’ll learn about his marriage, writing career, major scripts, recent projects, and work today. Let’s start with the key facts.
Martyn Eaden Quick Facts
- Full name: Martyn Eaden
- Nationality: British
- Career: Screenwriter, copywriter, television production work
- Former spouse: Chrissy Metz
- Marriage: 2008 to 2015
- Writing partner: David McClellan
- Known scripts: Shango, Mercy, Olivia Mabel, and Dawn of the Woman
- Awards: Filmmatic screenplay honors in 2022 and 2025
Who Is Martyn Eaden?
Martyn Eaden is a writer with years of work in film and TV. Many people know his name because he was married to Chrissy Metz. She later became famous as Kate Pearson on the NBC drama This Is Us. His own career has taken a different path.
He writes dark stories, often mixing crime, fear, and humor. He has worked on feature scripts and TV pilots. He has also held jobs in talent offices and production. That range of work has shaped his way of telling stories.
He does not share much about his daily life. Yet he has spoken at length about his craft. Those comments help readers see him as a working writer, not just a former spouse of a TV star.
Growing Up in Britain and Finding Stories
Eaden grew up in Britain. In a 2022 interview with Filmmatic, he said he wrote stories as a child. His family often found him writing instead of playing. His love of stories came before any work in Hollywood.
After spending time in Los Angeles, he met writer Mike Cooney at a party. They talked about how film scripts work. Eaden learned about acts, turning points, and how a story can hold attention. He went on to write his first screenplay around 2010.
Martyn Eaden did not attend a formal screenwriting school. He learned from films, books, podcasts, and practice. The process took time, but it gave him room to build his own voice.
The Marriage to Chrissy Metz
Martyn Eaden and Chrissy Metz married in 2008. At that point, her best-known TV role was still years away. They later separated, and their divorce was complete by 2015. The marriage is a common reason people search for his name.
Metz has described her former husband in warm terms. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she called him an amazing man and said they remained friends. She did not describe their past as a bitter public feud.
The timeline needs one key distinction. Reports place the couple’s separation in 2013, but the divorce was completed later. These are not two accounts of the same event. Couples may part ways long before their legal case ends.
Why Their Divorce Still Gets Attention
Metz rose to much wider fame after their marriage ended. This Is Us began in 2016 and brought her a large new audience. That success led to fresh interest in her life before the show. Martyn Eaden became part of that public story.
In 2018, Metz spoke about keeping a friendly bond with people she had dated. She said she and Eaden remained on good terms. Her words give useful context without turning the split into a story of blame.
There is no good reason to treat her later fame as proof of why they divorced. Their private choices belong to the people involved. The known dates and her own comments say more than a tale built from rumors.
A Career Across Television and Copywriting
Martyn Eaden has done more than write scripts. He has worked at talent agencies, production offices, and cable TV shows. Some jobs involved guests and props. Others focused on the words used to promote a brand or program.
He later worked in PR copywriting and product placement for TV. In 2025, he said he had spent years working on home makeover shows for HGTV and Discovery. Such programs rely on many people who never appear on camera.
That background shapes his script ideas. He thinks about a poster, an image, and a pitch when he plans a new story. It helps him consider how an audience may first hear about the work.
How His Writing Partnership Began
Martyn Eaden met writer David McClellan around 2010. They connected through an ad seeking a writing partner. Both liked horror and dark comedy. Their shared taste gave them a strong base for work together.
The pair often start with a phone call. Then one may draft an outline while the other tests its shape. They trade ideas and pages. This lets them catch weak scenes before they spend time on a full script.
Their first joint project was The Devil’s Bible. It drew interest at a pitch event, but was not made into a film. They kept working and built more projects in film and TV.
Shango: A Horror Pilot That Won Recognition
Martyn Eaden and McClellan won Filmmatic’s Season 6 horror screenplay contest for Shango in 2022. The pilot follows a man in Los Angeles who finds missing people. After his grandmother dies, he gains a link to her strange powers.
A dangerous drug is part of the story. It brings an evil force into the city. The plot blends crime with the supernatural. The lead character must deal with both street danger and forces he does not fully know.
Eaden said his ideas came from 1970s Black cinema, horror, and Los Angeles. The pair worked through several versions to find a darker tone. The award honored their pilot script. It did not mean a full TV series had aired.
Mercy: His Short Screenplay Win in 2025
Martyn Eaden won another Filmmatic honor in 2025. His short script Mercy took the Season 10 short screenplay award. The story starts after mob figures attack a man and leave him for dead. A woman finds him, and their lives become linked.
Eaden placed the story in Gary, Indiana, in 1994. He built it around danger, debt, and a bond between two hurt people. He wanted a strong opening that would make readers need to know what came next.
The idea grew from an older feature script. He changed the start and cut it down to a short work. In his 2025 Filmmatic interview, he said he might later turn it into a longer film.
Olivia Mabel and Other Film Projects
Martyn Eaden has also worked on Olivia Mabel. It began as a fictional short story for the screen. The tale spread online, and some people came to think it was real. He later worked on a podcast version of the story.
He and other partners recorded a pilot with actors Ruby Modine and Jaime King. He also spoke about an optioned film version in 2025. An option means a project has a deal for possible development. It does not mean the film is finished.
He also discussed Dawn of the Woman, a script that mixes home invasion horror and dark comedy. These projects show his interest in unusual stories and different formats. Their final release status should not be guessed.
What His Screenwriting Awards Mean
Martyn Eaden has won awards for two very different scripts. Shango is a TV pilot. Mercy is a short screenplay. Both wins came from Filmmatic contests. The awards show that judges valued his writing.
A screenplay win is not the same as a box office hit. A script may win honors before any actor is cast. Funding, film rights, and a production team all come later. Many strong scripts never reach a movie screen.
These honors still matter. They offer a way for writers to reach new people and test their work. For Eaden, they also mark years of effort after he first began to write scripts.
Where Is Martyn Eaden Today?
As of October 2026, his 2025 interview is a key recent account of his work. He spoke about new scripts, writing habits, and hopes for his career. He also said that film and TV work can be hard to plan.
He does not give a public daily record of his life. Details about his current home or private partner are not needed to understand his work. His screen projects offer a more useful update.
His words suggest a writer who still enjoys the craft. He has tried new formats and kept shaping ideas after setbacks. The path is not always steady, but his creative work has continued.
The Lessons Behind His Approach to Writing
Eaden believes that a good idea needs care and time. He may write for long stretches when a story is fresh. Then he steps away for a while. He does not follow the same daily routine on every project.
He also sees value in working with a trusted partner. Two writers can test a plot, share feedback, and help each other finish. Their joint 2022 Filmmatic interview explains how he and McClellan share that work.
Martyn Eaden has urged new writers to enjoy telling stories. Film deals can be slow and uncertain. For him, the work itself has value even before a script becomes a movie.
Final Thoughts
Martyn Eaden may be known to many readers through Chrissy Metz. Yet his years of writing and TV work give him an identity of his own. He has built scripts, found partners, and earned awards for his ideas.
His story also shows what happens before a film reaches the screen. Writers plan, revise, pitch, and try again. Awards can mark progress, but the next step still takes work.
The lasting point is simple. A person’s past marriage may draw public interest, but it does not tell the full story. For Eaden, the work behind the camera is worth knowing too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Martyn Eaden go to film school?
No. Eaden said he had no formal training in screenwriting. He learned through books, films, audio lessons, and writing practice.
Has Shango been released as a TV show?
The Filmmatic award was for a pilot script. The contest interview did not state that a complete TV series had been released.
Was Mercy made into a movie?
Mercy won a short screenplay prize in 2025. The award was for the writing, not a released film. Eaden said he might expand the story.
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