MAKE-UP special effects artist Davy Jones has worked on some of TV and films biggest hits in a career spanning 30 years ... but you may not realise he lives in Wirral.

Davy and wife Lin Davie have worked on Pirates of the Caribbean, Narnia 2, Blade 2, Alexander, Wolfman and, amongst others, Dr Who and Bodies.

He has designed makeup and prosthetics on three series of Good karma Hospital out in Sri Lanka creating such births as premature babies and a host of injuries.

Liverpool-born Dave also did the tattoo make-up for Wesley Snipes in Blade 2 and transformed Geoffrey Rush into comic legend Peter Sellers for the 2004 film The Life and death of Peter Sellers, which earned his first honour, an international Emmy award.

He received a Bafta for work on the first series of Doctor Who which starred Christopher Eccleston as the legendary Timelord and Double Royal Television awards for In the flesh and Bodies.

An impressive body of work for someone who left school with no real idea of what he really wanted to do but who started sculpting as a hobby.

He told the Globe today: "I started work on Brookside as a cleaner and then went on the props department, cleaning the houses, re-setting the props, then set dressing.

"By accident, really, I started whittling away and created a few little animals and things like that. I started to work with clay and realised I could sculpt."

The 58-year-old was born in Netherley and relocated from Liverpool to Saughall Massie. His studio is at the foundry Business centre in Birkenhead.

Wife Lin Davie was the makeup and hair designer for Suranne Jones' new BBC drama Gentleman Jack, which began on Sunday night.

The firm is currently in involved with a medical company, aiding the police, nursing and paramedics community with film quality prosthetics for dealing with large scale attacks and disasters.

Dave was 29 when he set off on the road that would lead to a hugely successful career in TV prosthetics.

It was while working on Brookside that Dave met his future wife Lin, who helped him develop his craft further.

He said: "I started making little appliances and gory looking make-up on the girls in our department and it went from there.

"For me, sticking all the gory stuff on the girls the leverage was Lin sticking all the make-up on at the end of the night.

"Then she started getting me to do the make-up too."

Lin persuaded Dave to take up a trainee makeup and special effects artist job on HollyOaks.

He said: "I did two and a half years on Hollyoaks, realised that I wanted to do special effects and left."

He then spent about eight to ten years doing 'normal' dramas.

He recalled: "My first big thing for TV was with George Cole at Shepperton Studios and it was just a massive education into TV.

"I never how big a star George actually was.

"I loved the Alistair Sim version of Christmas Carol and remember watching George in that.

"My dad remembered him as Arthur Daley in Minder, it was just a generational thing.

"I worked on some series that were cutting edge such as Queer as Folk, Cops, etc.

"Lin and I later got involved in such things as Bodies, Wire in the blood and two series of White Chapel together.

"For me, I got to work on Band of Brothers directed by David Schwimmer and it spiralled from there."

Looking back to where it all started, his time on Brookside, Dave said: "The good thing about Brookside is they did let you cross over and dabble; so if you wanted to do a week in front of the camera for example, they'd let you.

"If it looked like you had a talent and potential they would give you a little trial, which is a bit unheard of now."

On his awards, he said: "Although I am very proud of the awards, I am embarrassed if I'm asked to stand with them, ha ha."

He is also keen to help others who have some sculpting and fine Art experience and are interested in creating effects for film and TV.

For details, email davyjones@makeupsfx.com

Follow him on Instagram at Davyjonessfx

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