I was a quiet and timid boy, who never had a gang or hung out a big pack of friends. I was not one of those kids who were really comfortable going out, showing off or anything.
I’m probably the last person they thought would become an actor. When my first movie came out, a friend of mine who had come back from abroad thought it was a prank.
I couldn’t even smile. The whole casting thing was weird and uncomfortable for me, being asked to smile for a person I didn’t know. My manager needed to teach me.
I was disastrously unnatural. I had been going to castings for about two years and didn’t get a single role. I realized later it was because I had no idea about acting.
Acting wasn’t really enjoyable until I got to take acting classes with Kru Lek and at Kantana, learning the skills needed. I slowly grew to enjoy and appreciate it.
I lead a slow life. I tend to stay home a lot. I’m a slow thinker and doer. I’m a late starter as well. My acting career only started when I was already 24. I played Angulimala when I was 29.
My schedule is simple. I cannot focus on different things at the same time, so I take things one at a time. I also have a production house, where our team offers scriptwriting, shooting and editing services. But when a film project commences, it’s automatically my first priority. My colleagues sometimes get sore, but overall they understand my needs.
Training for the Boonting role in King Naresuan was a revelatory experience. For a year I had to board a bus to Nakhon Nayok every week to train up on all the skills to be a warrior. It was like being in a military camp week in week out, it really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Working with perfectionist filmmakers has taught me a lot. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and Chatrichalerm Yukol, for example, may be two different styles of director. But they are both highly passionate, extremely dedicated to achieving what they want. Working with them not only shaped me as an actor but also as a person. They challenge you to challenge yourself.
I used to be more of a quitter. I used to give up before trying, but now I try questioning myself whether I have pushed hard enough before giving in. One thing I take from my work is how it’s possible to push your limits.
I don’t have a goal. That might be either bad or good. I don’t really plan my life. I just enjoy what’s in front of me and learn as I go along. But I always give absolutely everything that is asked of me.
Horse riding still scares me. Watching my films, people may think I ride them for fun, but the truth is a whole other story. For Colonel Bird [Wanchana Sawasdee], it’s always fun for him; he loves that stuff. Outdoor adventure is not my thing at all. Before my daily practice, the horse trainer always comforts me by saying the horse is in a good mood today.
Actors are athletes. You can’t just turn up in front of a camera and do the job. It doesn’t work like that; at least for me, preparation is necessary. You need to be as prepared as you can because there’s nothing more you can do once the take starts.
I need to understand everything. I need to know all the background to learn how a character forms his reason. It’s important because when you come across that void moment, the blankness inside a character’s head that you cannot fill, it shows on film.
An award guarantees nothing. I’m grateful for the awards and grateful to those who have taught me. But your next film could always be an utter failure. You can always fail, through lack of preparation or little misunderstandings about the character.
Some people like to degrade actors. Soap opera actors and actresses, or stars, as some name them, are really talented. On the count of three, they can shed tears just like that. Just because they also do events, doesn’t mean they are any less talented.
Each character becomes my friend, as I spend time with him, learning his thoughts. A character doesn’t always do things because they think it’s reasonable. So I have to spend a lot of time with him.
Once he casts me, the director has my life. I’ll spend my whole time devoted to the character. I take every role seriously. I try my best in every possible way to deliver what the director wants.
It’s like falling in love with a girl, working on a film. That feeling makes me yearn for it more and more. After each shoot finishes, I feel heartbroken. That’s why I’m always enthusiastic when hearing about new projects. It’s not always fun, yet no matter how tough or difficult each film is, it’s still a joy.
