When 8days.sg flew to Bangkok last month to meet the stars of new iQIYI drama Oh No! Here Comes Trouble, we were bummed to find out that Thai star Chanon Santinatornkul wasn’t able to make his scheduled appearance at the press conference as he was unwell.
Thankfully, the 26-year-old, who is better known as Nonkul, started feeling better later in the day, and we were given the green light to speak to him as planned.
We didn’t know what to expect though. Would he be so out of it, he would have trouble stringing a sentence together? Or would he be in, yikes, pain?
Our worries turned out to be unfounded.
He was all smiles when we met him and looked positively bright and cheery. The boyishly good-looking star could have been feeling like crap inside but he definitely didn’t show it.
When we asked what happened to him, he said, in his own words, that he was having “a little bit of a stomach ache”.
What we also appreciated was how he tried to express himself the best he could in English even though he’s not totally fluent in the language. On top of not feeling a hundred per cent.
Nonkul, who is best known for his breakout role in 2017 Thai movie Bad Genius, stars in his third Mandarin-speaking role in Oh No! Here Comes Trouble.
In 2019, he played the lead in two Chinese dramas, Dive and Blowing in The Wind, which also starred Eleanor Lee.
Oh No! Here Comes Trouble is a 12-episode mystery-comedy which sees Taiwanese stars Vivian Sung and Tseng Jinghua resolving the last wishes of disgruntled souls through the help of Chinese calligraphy.
Nonkul appears in the later half. His character, Yang Ning, is a young man who struggles to come to terms with his brother’s tragic passing. He encounters the characters played by Vivian and Jinghua who are able to help him resolve his issues and… well, you’ll have to catch the drama to find out.
8DAYS.SG: Since this is your third Mandarin-speaking role, how would you rate your Mandarin now?
NONKUL: Um, I would give myself a six [out of ten]? (Laughs) I can hold a conversation in Mandarin in daily life, but if it’s for an interview or when I have to speak in Mandarin for long, I would have a hard time.
Did you find it hard to learn Mandarin?
I thought it was very hard at first, but as I kept learning it, it became easier. I was very nervous about this role because I had to have long conversations in Mandarin with other actors. So I practised a lot for it.
My co-stars helped me too, and they would tell me if something sounds a bit off. I really appreciated that ‘cos it’s a great thing when other people have your back.
The main character in this drama is able to see people’s thoughts in the form of monsters and otherworldly beings. Do you believe in monsters?
I personally never encountered any before but I wouldn’t say I don’t believe in them. I wouldn’t want to believe them too. I mean, it’s contradictory but I wouldn’t want to be able to see monsters.
I do think they exist though. I believe in God [Ed: Nonkul is a devout Christian], so I believe in supernatural things.
You shot this show in Taiwan, so what are some things you must have with you when you’re working overseas?
My phone and my credit card. Another thing is… how do I say this… a portable bidet? It’s for washing your… (motions under the chair which he is sitting on and laughs). Thailand has a lot of portable bidets, but a lot of countries don’t. I find using only the tissue paper very dry (chuckles).
Thai dramas and actors have become very popular around the world in recent years, and many are likening it to the new Korean wave.
I think there’s no denying that the Korean wave gets a lot of attention, and one of the reasons is their high quality [of production]. I agree that it’s something we’re working towards.
One of my dreams is to be a world class actor, so yeah, I would love to work towards that goal too.
Is there anyone you look up to in particular?
Daniel Day Lewis, but he’s already retired. He’s passionate about his work, and I read a lot of his interviews where he talks about preparing for his roles. I think it’s very inspiring.
Photos: iQIYI, iQIYI/ Facebook, Nonkul/ Instagram
You can catch Oh No! Here Comes Trouble On iQIYI, new episodes are released every Sat, 8pm.
Read original article here: www.8days.sg
News Summary:
- Thai Star Nonkul, 26, On Mastering Mandarin & Why He Needs To Have His Portable Bidet With Him Whenever He Works Overseas
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