You’re free to choose what you want in life. I told my parents I wanted to quit accounting school to study art. They objected as they saw the life of an artist as too unpredictable.

I asked my parents to send me to New York to work with my aunt, instead. My parents weren’t rich so they bought me a one-way ticket and said I had to build everything on my own over there. The ticket was all they could do for me.

They said, don’t come back if you have a blonde wife and can’t get a degree. Well, I only broke one promise as I brought back my beautiful blonde wife, Fey.

New York gives everyone a chance. It gave me the strength to push myself forward. For years, I’d sleep only 3-4 hours as I had to wake up early to study then head to work from 4pm to 3am to pay for university.

Hardship is only temporary. But your goals remain. When my wife and I returned to Bangkok in 1987, we didn’t have any savings. So we did MLM [pyramid referral sales], graphic design, training courses and even opened a ballet school, Rising Star Dance Studio, more than 10 years ago.

Sometimes the going gets tough, but in the end, I believe you can always get what you want.

Give everything your best shot. You never know when your big break is going to be. I started acting for the first time in 2010 [Wade Muller’s short film, Second Chance] when I was nearly 50. And here I am.

Do your homework. Working with an international crew including director Nicolas Winding Refn and an A-list actor like Ryan Gosling was a real challenge. But if you train hard enough, it doesn’t matter if you’re A-list or C-list.

Thai boxing is really tough. I spent five months training for the role. At some points, I cried.

There’s more noir in newspapers than in this film. And I don’t see anything wrong in making a movie about the dark side of Bangkok. I even think it’s kind of good to show it because it’s the reality. These are the failings in our society. We have to admit that.

Thais should worry about reality rather than credibility. Many were outraged when Lady Gaga talked about getting a fake Rolex but those things exist. Face it and fix it.

Life isn’t a postcard. If you want to see beauty, watch wildlife documentaries.

2012 was the best and worst year in my life. I was nominated for best actor [National Film Association Award], starred alongside Ryan Gosling, but I lost my mom to cancer.

Nature is humbling. It reminds you nothing is forever.

Don’t give up. Even when things seem hopeless. I was first contacted for Only God Forgives nearly two years before it started shooting. I was told to lose weight for the role of an ex-boxer. And I started doing it right away even though nothing was certain about the project.

Don’t try to help those who won’t help themselves. I nearly lost my family because I tried to fix my parents’ problems. My dad was an alcoholic and ruining his marriage. I felt I had a duty to fix that and neglected my wife to take care of them. But as a result, she and I became estranged.

Forgive yourself to move on. I felt so guilty that I couldn’t help my parents, but I finally let it go. Luckily not only God forgives, but my wife forgives, too.

When you face a tough time, those with a bad attitude will ask God, “Why me?” Those who with a good attitude will say, “Try me.”

My wife and I tried to have children for five years but we both had fertility problems. Though, we failed many times, we never gave up. If we had, we wouldn’t have had our wonderful child.

I love kendo. It requires strength and softness to fight. It also teaches you to be humble as you have to salute your opponent both before and after the fight. I’ve done it since I was in New York and I am now the president of the Bangkok Kendo Club.

You will be respected when you respect others. I always tell my son to be humble to everyone. He has to wai the security guard at his school every day.

Starting acting in my 50s made me realize that everyone might have some hidden talent that has never been found or used to its full potential.

I’m living in a dream. I cried when I listened to “Ter Kue Kwam Fun” [Proud’s title song to Only God Forgives, which translates to “You’re my Dream”]. I never thought I would accomplish this dream of becoming an actor. Now I just wish I can do this job for a very long time.