What was your first reaction on hearing that you get to be a leading actor?
Smiling! Not only do I get to be a leading actor, I am also a hero! It is a huge difference. I always play a villain, a bully—who in the end, gets beaten up. It is nice to finally be on the winning side.
What is your character in Somtam?
I play Barnie, a big-but-wimpy tourist who is robbed in Pattaya. Luckily, two local girls allow him to stay at their mother’s somtam stall, where Barnie finds out that he becomes stronger whenever he eats somtam.
What was the biggest challenge for you in this movie?
Definitely eating somtam. I can’t eat spicy food. I know somtam is spicy but I never thought it would be that spicy. It burnt my mouth, my throat and my stomach!
What would you like to do in the future?
I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go back to a wrestling career. I got the offer to be a wrestler in US. But I definitely want to continue acting. I’ve done a lot of action movies, so it’d be great if I get to be in a drama or even a romantic comedy. I like to make people laugh and happy.
