These days, money and fame are what almost everyone seeks—everyone except Wanchana Sawasdee, a.k.a Capt. Bird. With his chiseled face and precise speech, the graceful 34-year-old is a convincing King Naresuan, the great warrior king. Despite his celebrity status, the humble soldier gives himself only 5 out of 10 for his acting in part 1 of the epic directed by M.C. Chatrichalerm Yukol (Tan Mui). In part 2, which they’re now filming—no doubt Capt. Bird will be looking to raise that score.

To be a soldier wasn’t always my dream. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an architect. It was my soldier dad who talked me into it and inspired me to apply to the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, where I spent five years training.

Life in the military academy was fun. Of course, the training was hard, but I have always been athletic, so exercises were not a problem for me.

Mental strength, physical fitness and self-discipline are what I’ve learned from being a soldier.

Military training is like sharpening a knife. You always have to keep the knife sharp so that you can use it whenever you are in need.

Soldiers have to keep honing their skills, and be ready to serve at any time.

I was very excited when I first found out I got the King Naresuan role. But quickly after that, excitement was replaced by nervousness and anxiety.

I am not a professional actor and had never dreamed of being in the entertainment business, let alone taking on a big role like this.

Tan Mui is a great teacher to me. He spent two years with me before the actual filming started. He learned my attitudes and insights, and tried his best to bring out the real me on the big screen.

No one knows what King Naresuan was like, so the King Naresuan that you see in the movie is a character born from a combination of the scriptwriter’s imagination and my own personality.

What we can’t create or modify, however, is the heroic act that the movie portrays exactly according to history.

Acting is a part of everyone’s life. We all have to act at some point. Take me, for example. I’m a soldier and soldiers aren’t supposed to be afraid of anything. But I am a human; sometimes I get scared, but I can’t let my team see that.

The most difficult thing about filming King Naresuan are the action scenes in which I also have lines to say. It’s very hard for me to combine everything that I’ve learned about riding horses, using ancient weapons and acting into one scene. Imagine having to control a horse that’s freaking out because of the bombs being set off and trying to deliver the right lines on cue.

My life changed quite a lot after I was chosen to play King Naresuan, but it was a gradual change, so I hardly felt the difference.

Though I have to do lots of interviews to do to promote the movie, I’m still just a soldier.

The only expectation I had was that King Naresuan would make Thais love and be proud of their country, like our ancestors were. The movie shows how bad things can be when we lose our national unity.

Some may think it’s not their responsibility to protect the country—that it’s a soldier’s duty. But I believe deep down inside, everyone is willing to sacrifice their life for their country when it’s in danger.

I am, and will always be, a soldier, even after I’m retired. Soldier blood runs deep in me and influences who I am. It will be with me until the day I die.

I’ll definitely go back to serve the country. Though I’m having fun in the entertainment business, the military is always my first priority. I’d love to do more acting, but if there’s a time conflict, I’ll go back to my chosen path of being a soldier.

I’d rather to be remembered as a soldier than King Naresuan.

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