A Scouser feels like his life's work is complete after he bagged a prestigious Emmy Award.
Paul Boyce hails from Walton and has enjoyed a rich career in TV and film as a specialist make-up artist. The 49-year-old's talents have taken him all over the world and he has worked on huge productions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain America and War Horse.
Paul was recognised at the Children's and Family's Creative Arts Emmy ceremony in December as he was awarded the prize for outstanding make-up and hairstyling for his work on The Canterville Ghost. Paul moved to Thailand 10 years ago and told the ECHO he didn't make the mammoth journey to the ceremony in Los Angeles as the odds were stacked heavily against him.
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He said: "The category had seven people entered in it to win. Normally there's only three or four. When you watch the awards themselves, it says this is the most nominations for one award we've ever done. I looked at the people who were all running for it and thought 'I live in Thailand. If I want to get to LA it's about four airplanes and three days. I'm not going all the way there just to not win it."
However, Paul defied expectations to win the prize and said the success of his achievement properly hit when he received his award by post this week. He said: "It got here by courier and someone drove it from Bangkok to where I live. I live 11 hours from Bangkok in a village in the middle of nowhere.
"It came in a big fancy box and I got it out on my own and just stared it at for about 20 minutes, thinking about my career." Paul said he was finally overcome with emotion after a night of celebrating with his wife and friends. He added: "They all left and I burst into tears. The day got to me."
Paul has made a habit of defying the odds as he displayed a fierce work ethic to overcome obstacles to pursue a passion first ignited as a teenager when he saw the Thriller music video. He said: "I've proved so many wrong over the years. I used to get a hard time and get ripped to bits but they all respect me now because I stuck to my guns.
"When the careers teacher asked me what I wanted to do, I told them and they just started laughing." Paul refused to be beaten as he identified a specialist makeup and technical effects degree in London and worked tirelessly to ensure he met the criteria to access the education.
He fended off thousands of applicants from more privileged backgrounds to earn his place on the course and credits his Liverpool roots with instilling in him this fighting spirit. He said: "I think Scousers have all got it.
"I was sat in a room with these other 59 students. They were all middle class. I had to work my a**e off. We were skint. I got a loan off the government, my dad used to help me out. I got a weekend job. It's just a case of perseverance, fight and the will to want it."
Paul is proud of his Merseyside roots and retains his Scouse accent although he hasn't lived in the city full time since he was 18. He laughed: "So many Scousers move away and their accent slips and I'm thinking, 'hold on a minute?'"
The artist said the prize has allowed him to reflect on his career as he is now considering whether to bow out on a high to lead a more settled life with his wife. He said: "The industry is that fast-paced and because you move on so often, it is like ships passing in the night. I used to work all year around but, about five or six years ago, I looked around at people in the industry and they're not married, they've got no kids. I thought I don't want this."
Paul is now building a house to raise a family in Thailand and earn money through a career away from the TV and film industry. The decision to potentially step away has been met with confusion from his friends but Paul said he feels content as he has succeeded with everything he set out to achieve: He added: "At the beginning of my career, all I wanted was to work for Casualty, a zombie movie, a war movie and I wanted to work with a massive director. And I've done them all."
However, the fire that drove him on as a teenager is still alive as he passionately talks about two projects currently in pre-production that may still come off. He has also been offered work on a production in Liverpool which could tempt him to reconsider.
Paul said he would relish the opportunity to work on a project in his home city as he returns to the region as much as he can to visit his mum and dad, who he praises for their support throughout his career. He said: "My mum is seriously creative and my dad is very driven. It's no question that where I am now is down to them."
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