After a four-year hiatus, the sharp-tongued DJ on the morning radio show Chae Tae Chao returns to the big screen with My Valentine. Here, he talks about his role and how he deals with criticism.
Tell us about your character.
I play Art, one of the three lead actors. He once was a nice guy, but after he got dumped for being “too good,” he becomes this unromantic, sarcastic bad boy. I’m bored of playing the stereotypical Mr. Nice Guy role. That’s why I was interested to be in this film.
DJ or actor, which do you prefer?
As an actor, you have to become another person. I prefer being a DJ because I get to be myself. Plus, DJing is a challenging job. You have to figure out how to make millions of listeners out there stay tuned in to your station. In a way, a good DJ is like a columnist. You have to know who your audience is and what they’re interested in. If you just babble on about nonsense stuff for two hours, the listeners would go, “What the heck is he talking about?” and change the station.
Chae Tae Chao was a controversial show when it first started. Do you still get criticism?
Because of the show, people assume I am sharp-tongued. But that’s the concept of the show; I’m just doing my job. I don’t harshly criticize other celebrities, though. In the business, there are two types of people—those who present who they really are and those who try to create an image that they think the public would approve of, which can be exhausting. I am in the first group. My fans like me for who I am. That’s why I can last in the business.
Do you read gossip news off duty?
No! Because of my job, I read much more gossip than I ever want to. Sometimes other celebrities get mad at me because I mention them on air. But really, how can I not talk about them when they make the headlines? If you don’t want to land in the tabloids, then don’t make yourself the subject of a scandal. That or get out of the business. And really, you don’t have to be afraid of me snooping around in your private life. Personally, I don’t want anyone to pry into my life either, so once I step out of the studio, I don’t want to know what others do, or who they are doing it with. It’s none of my business.
How do you deal with rumors surrounding your relationship?
My relationship [with singer/actress Marsha Wattanapanich] is not affected by rumors the tabloids. Run whatever you want. We both couldn’t care less about gossip and are still happy together.
