Last updated at 17:15, Wednesday, 09 January 2013

A FORMER helicopter pilot has swapped her whirlwind career for a life in film.

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Captain Elaine Caulfield spent 17 years in the army and was one of just five female helicopter pilots while in the forces.

The 45-year-old last year decided to follow her dream to become a professional actress and already she has starred in a commercial for Activia, along with TV style guru Gok Wan.

The former Barrow Grammar School pupil joined the army at 17 in 1985 when she enlisted in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, and completed parachute jumps along with visiting Romania with the army’s Olympic bobsleigh team. She was commissioned at Sandhurst in 1990.

After leaving the army as a major, she decided to take up acting and said her previous career gave her some key skills that will come in handy while on location.

Speaking to the Evening Mail she said: “Sandhurst was actually quite a good drama school, as you have to take direction.

“And like acting, a lot of the time you are cold and have to get up in the middle of the night.

“You have always got to maintain a sense of calm and speak confidently.”

Despite his celebrity profile Ms Caulfield said Gok Wan wasn’t an intimidating character to work with.

She added: “Gok was a really lovely guy. He really helped us doing all the posing, which we had to do for two days. He really is the person that you see on the TV.

“I always wanted to do a bit of acting and signed up with an agency in March.

“I have being doing extra work and been on shows like Casualty and Doctor Who. I am just going forward and looking to what lies ahead.

“I’ve been doing background work and now I’m looking to move into acting, spurred on by the wonderful experience on this shoot.”

First published at 16:39, Wednesday, 09 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk