It's no secret that Prinya Intachai _ better known as Way from Thaitanium, one of Thailand's biggest hip-hop acts _ has a penchant for acting. In fact, if you ask him, he'll be quick to tell you that his first dream has always been acting, and busting rhymes on stage has always come naturally to him.
Now with Choice, which opened last Thursday, Way is stepping up to take the lead role, starring opposite another music darling, Preeti Barameeanant, aka Bank Cash from the now defunct rock outfit Clash. Choice follows the lives of two minimart employees who must decide if they want to follow their dreams or not.
Choice is also the first film from Way's own production company, Say Cash Film.
The soon-to-be-father of twins takes a little time out to talk to Life about Choice.
Can you tell us about your character in Choice?
I play Arh who's been working at Choice minimart for five or six years. I'm stuck in a box. I want to get out and do something else but don't have the guts to do it.
How do you identify with your character?
I think all of us at one point in our lives have been like Arh where you just get stuck doing something that becomes routine and you get tired of doing the same thing every day. I used to work in bars and restaurants in New York and it would get tiring going in day in and day out but unlike Arh, I was only doing it to support my dreams.
How does acting differ from music making for you?
It's similar but different. You get high performing in front of people. No words can explain the feeling when you hear people singing along to your songs. The energy they give back to you helps feed the energy you give back to them. Crowd control is important because it's like the attention is all on you on stage. Being in front of the camera, you feed off of your co-stars but sometimes you might need to find that energy to feed yourself to be the character you are playing depending on the scenes. I enjoy both. Also, acting is a team effort while music you can do by yourself. You can't make a movie by yourself!
Are there any other roles you'd like to tackle?
I like roles that are challenging _ something where I have to do homework for the character. Learn something new. I don't want to always play the same roles.
Why should we go to see Choice?
It's a comedy-drama. It's guaranteed to make you laugh but also has a message that I think everyone can relate to. It's heartwarming, and it's the first time you see me as a regular kid. No sunglasses, no hats, no moustache and no goatee!
