If becoming a princess is the biggest dream of a girl, Witchayanee "Gam" Pearklin is in heaven already since she has become three princesses already in her career. The winner of 2008 singing competition The Star 4 — and the singer who sang the Thai version of the global hit Let It Go — has been chosen as the Southeast Asian version of Maleficent in the 2015 Disney Princess Calendar photo shoot.
"When I was a little girl, I used to have the idea that princesses are noble girls surrounded by servants," said Witchayanee. "Actually, princesses in fairy tales always confront prejudices and obstacles, and most of them cannot be what they want to be. If being a princess means something one desires, I would redefine a princess as someone who follows one's dream freely."
Maleficent was originally better known as a ferocious witch in Sleeping Beauty, but is included as one of the princesses in the new calendar, implying that she isn't just a villain but a strong female character. The recent movie Maleficent has confirmed that image of her, thanks to Angelina Jolie's portrayal.
"To me, Maleficent is more than a princess. The character begins as a happy goddess, but a tragedy turns her life upside down. However, she's still able to cope with it in the end," said Witchayanee.
If there's something that qualifies her as a princess, it's the fact that Witchayanee's life has been guided by her own choices. She participated in various singing activities and competitions in her teens, including life-changing competition The Star. Witchayanee was hailed as a phenomenon as she was the only female contestant to win this show in the first 10 seasons.
That opened the door for her subsequent career. Witchayanee is known for her powerful voice and singing technique — a singer who can really sing and not one that relies on her looks. After releasing hits, she got a chance to sing the Thai dubbing for Tiana, the leading role in The Princess And The Frog. Then came the breakthrough role as Elsa in the global hit Frozen; she dubbed the ice queen's voice, as well as singing Thai versions of the songs.
"Voice dubbing is not just about reading the script and using the right tone of voice, but understanding the character's traits, which will definitely affect the work," she said. "I'm completely falling in love with it."
Witchayanee looks forward to more voice dubbing roles. And as girls around the world belt out Frozen's key song Let It Go, Witchayanee has found herself in the fortunate position of doing the song in Thai.
"I dare to call Let It Go my masterpiece. It was a tough job. But the tougher it gets, the more I can push my ability," she said.
"The song can also give me moral support. When it comes to my life in showbiz or even in my ordinary life, there are obstacles and things that won't work out, and I find no better way to respond rather than to 'let it go', just like the song," said Witchayanee.
For someone who spends her whole life singing, posing for a calendar — even a princess-themed calendar — is not necessarily an easy task.
Though she really put herself into the character the imaginative photographer, Michael Chevas, gave her advice and helped her become "Maleficent-like". "There is always something new to try in showbiz, which is my favourite part of the industry. It's a place full of lessons and activities where skills are practiced and new things are learnt," said Witchayanee.
It's no wonder that her current work is so diverse. From photo shoots, singing, acting to TV hosting, she has tried them all. She believes the way to survive happily in show business is to keep moving and developing. "If I stop, someone will immediately move ahead of me," she said. "But I'm not competing with anyone but myself. It's completely up to me whether I want to pause or continue. But since I never imagined coming as far as I have, there's no point not grabbing chances that come.
"I let problems go, but I will never do the same with opportunities."
