John Stephenson

Born: UK

The former furniture designer and veteran of Jim 'Muppet' Henson's Creature Shop made his big screen debut with Five Children and It.

Originally a trainee architect, Stephenson switched to industrial design when he studied at the Royal College of Art in London.

After unsuccessful attempts to break into the British film industry he moved to Los Angeles as a furniture designer.

While visiting friends in New York he presented his portfolio to Jim Henson and was asked to start work the next day as a freelance on Dark Crystal.

Within five years, Stephenson had become head of his famed Creature Shop in Camden in north London.

He went on to act as creative supervisor on features including Return To Oz, The Witches, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Flintstones, The Adventures of Pinochio and Lost In Space.

Having previously worked on the animatronics behind Babe, he chose a live-action Animal Farm as his debut feature.

Recent work includes the live action adaptation of E Nebit's Five Children and It with Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard.