TURNING a Hollywood actress into a murderous mental asylum patient may not be usual nine to five job.
But for Dallam born Mike Hill, it is nothing out of the ordinary.
The 43-year-old has created a career as one of the world’s most successful movie sculpture and mask makers.
And his latest task was for US TV show ‘American Horror Story’ - starring Oscar winner Jessica Lange.
Mike, who is back home this week to talk to students at Warrington Collegiate on Friday, was asked to create a mask for the character of Pepper, played by Naomi Grossman, a micro-cephalic woman committed to a mental asylum.
Mike describes how work started on the mask.
He said: “I began altering her features in clay. First trying to make this pretty woman into this unfortunate patient.
“I took about three days to sculpt the face. The final silicone appliances, a fake forehead, nose and ears were glued to her face and carefully painted to look exactly like real skin.
“Naomi very bravely allowed her head to be shaved to allow for a more realistic look. Exaggerated dentures completed the look.
“I also sculpted silicone gloves which slipped over her real hands for a more confusing and eerie gender trait.”
It was another success for the man who has had commissions from director Guillermo Del Toro and Playboy chief Hugh Hefner and who has worked alongside stars including Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.
It has been a busy time for Mike who was presented with an award at the Monsterpalooza convention for ‘support and dedication to practical effects’, which he collected with his son Connah.
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