Nont has a crush on Kapook

Teenage romance is one of the most popular themes in Thai dramas. The GMM25 show Sabai Sabai (Take It Easy) is the latest to follow this familiar storyline. But it has had no trouble attracting a big audience, thanks to lead actor Tanont Chumroen (Nont).

The winner of season one of The Voice Thailand and season four of The Mask Singer, Nont has a large following of loyal fans. They have tuned in to Take It Easy to watch him play Nont, a student with a crush on his best friend Pan, played by Phatchara Thabthong (Kapook). Nont is afraid to confess his feelings because he’s worried about losing her.

Before viewers find out whether Nont will tell Pan how he really feels, S Weekly met up with 22-year-old Nont and 23-year-old Kapook to discuss acting and their hit new show.

What’s your favourite movie genre?

Kapook: I grew up watching Disney animations. I’m really into romantic films. I dream of having somebody surprise me romantically like they do in the movies.

Nont: I like documentaries. I find them very interesting.

Is acting important to you?

Kapook: Yes. I didn’t take the job seriously when I started, but I discovered that I felt different when I became a character. I’m much more professional about it now.

Nont: Acting is an art form. It’s challenging and fun. I don’t get this kind of opportunity often so I make sure to enjoy myself.

Take It Easy was inspired by a Bird Thongchai song. Are you a fan?

Kapook: Yes. When I was young, I listened to him a lot, especially the song “Fan Ja [My Girl].” My dad would put on his concert DVD at home and I’d dance along.

Nont: I grew up listening to P’Bird. For Take It Easy, I covered some of his songs. Now I have a much better understanding of what his lyrics mean.

Nont, was it easy to play a character that was written for you?

Nont: Not really. My character in Take It Easy is more complicated than I am. He doesn’t express his feelings openly. I found him difficult to play.

Kapook, did your experiences in TV commercials help prepare you for this drama?

Kapook: Yes. I once filmed an ad with a very strict director. He criticised my acting so much that I started crying. We had to stop filming. I felt that I was wasting everybody’s time. After that, I made sure I was well-prepared before every shoot.

Have you ever had a crush on a friend?

Kapook: No. But in high school, one of my friends liked me. She pretended that she liked another girl. When she confessed that she fancied me, I was upset that she’d lied.

Nont: I had a crush on a friend once. The more we spent time together, the more I realised how great she was and my feelings for her grew. But we were quite different people and, eventually, we grew apart.

Did you enjoy doing kendo in Take It Easy?

Kapook: It was fun. We trained with a national kendo coach. Nont was the best student. He was the only actor who didn’t need a stuntman during the fighting scenes.

Nont: When I put on the armour, I got excited. I felt like I was getting ready for battle.

What was it like to work together?

Kapook: Nont gave me great support. He stayed in character even when he wasn’t in the scene. That helped me to stay in character too. Off set, he’s very funny.

Nont: Kapook is nice and unpretentious. We had a lot of chemistry during the audition and we carried that through the shoot. On set, we get along well.