Thailand's own Nichkhun "Khun" Horvejkul has stolen the hearts of girls all over Asia with his songs and dance moves. And now he's found a whole new way to drive them crazy _ making his film debut in Rak Jed Pee Dee Jed Hon (Seven Something), which hits screens on Thursday.
Nichkhun is already an Asian heartthrob, best known as a member of the Korean band 2PM. But he recently fell in love with acting while working on Rak Jed Pee Dee Jed Hon. The film is a celebration of GTH film studio's seventh anniversary and features three love stories by three directors. Nichkhun plays the lead in an episode titled "42.195" (the length of a marathon in kilometres), directed by Jira "Keng" Maligool, the award-winning director of Maha'lai Muang Rae (The Tin Mine). He stars alongside Suquan Bulakul, and Panisara "Opal" Pimpru.
During a short trip home to wrap up shooting on the film, Nichkhun was enthusiastic about the career shift. "Acting definitely has its charms. It's not too easy, but at the same time it's not too hard. This movie is a very important beginning for me _ and to be able to do it in Thailand, I'm ecstatic."
Regarded as one of the top Asian superstars in the music industry, Nichkhun says his current schedule makes it impossible for him to devote too much time to acting, but when this project came along _ and GTH and his Korean record studio reached an agreement _ he couldn't wait to fly back home to shoot the film.
"I've always been a big fan of GTH's movies, especially their huge hit Shutter. When I read the script of "42.195", I loved it. It's such an interesting movie, not all cute and lovey dovey. It gives insights into life which might inspire people who have hit rock bottom. There's a mature message in there. It's not just another love movie," he said.
"When I was told that Pi Keng was going to direct it, I said yes immediately. I'm glad we worked it out. Unfortunately, because I had some work at the company and concerts with the band, it was a bit delayed."
In the movie, Nichkhun plays a marathon runner. Although he keeps himself fit, the singer said the role was physically demanding. But there was an upside to all that time on the track: "I get a beautiful and leaner body and I get to run," he joked.
Then he added: "Usually I don't like running, I like sports but not running. But after playing this role and training with a coach provided by GTH, I see the appeal of running. I can see why people are willing to sacrifice their time to run the 42.195km in the marathon. I'm able to feel what they feel during a run. It's a good feeling because it's great for my health and I get to do it while working."
Runners' highs aside, Nichkhun said he found the early days of filming difficult as he was eager to impress the director.
Nichkhun sighed and then smiled broadly, appearing to stifle a laugh. "It was very difficult. It was a lot of pressure, I must say, partly because it's Pi Keng's movie. I didn't want to disappoint him or make him regret choosing me as the male lead. He wrote this script for me; he said it should fit me like a glove without me trying too hard. But at first, I tried too hard to act. Pi Keng told me to stop 'acting'. He wanted me to be myself and that took a bit of time to adapt to. He's very kind, like a dad."
What about working with Suquan and Opal?
"At first I couldn't believe that P' Suquan had never acted before. She was very professional, punctual, and always willing to help when I had trouble with some scenes. It's fun being with her because she's nice and we're like brother and sister. Pi Opal is a scene-stealer. She's hilarious and that's who she is, which makes it all the more fun. It's too bad that I only had very few scenes with her."
Nichkhun said filming this movie was special for him personally because it allowed him to return to his homeland more often. "I got to stay here for the longest period I have in five years. It took me about 20 days to shoot, basically about two to three weeks in Thailand. It feels great to be home."
As for his "day job" as a K-pop star, Nichkhun said, "An album will be coming out both in Japan and Korea no later than this year, so keep a lookout."
