Star romance

Funny nerd woos Ink

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs by Varuth Hirunyatheb
and courtesy by Sahamongkol Film

After featuring in four Saranae movies, 28-year-old comedian and actor Pongpit Preechaborisutkul (Starbuck) has finally landed a leading role in Sahamongkol Film's new romantic comedy, Rak Wei Hei.

In Rak Wei Hei, Starbuck plays a geeky and clumsy computer programmer named Luag. He dreams hopelessly of dating a beautiful girl, until one day when he meets uncle Maa (Nakorn Silachai), a real Casanova who coaches Luag in the art of wooing women.

Rak Wei Hei also stars 22-year-old actress Chayanuj Boontanapibul (Ink), who plays Toe-ei, an attractive radio DJ and Luag's dream girl.

Student Weekly recently had a chat with Starbuck and Ink to hear all about Rak Wei Hei, which is due to hit cinemas on January 12.

Student Weekly: Ink, since this is your first acting experience, can you tell us a bit about your background?

Ink: I'm a VJ for Channel V Thailand. Apart from that, I've acted in a few music videos by bands like Link Corner, Potato and The Bottom Blues.

Student Weekly: Starbuck, how did you feel about landing your first lead role?

Starbuck: I was really happy and excited. The responsibilities and pressures are much more than when I played supporting roles, but this is what I've been waiting for. I put so much into the part, so I hope the response from viewers will be good.

Student Weekly: It's quite a surprise to see you with a neat, clean-cut appearance. How do you feel about your new look?

Starbuck: I'm supposed to be a nerdy guy in Rak Wei Hei, so it wouldn't look convincing if I had long hair and a beard like before. I just had a haircut and shaved to make the character more believable.

Student Weekly: What's the main difference between Rak Wei Hei and the other Saranae movies?

Starbuck: They're very different. The previous Saranae films were mostly candid camera pranks and nonsense jokes, but Rak Wei Hei has a proper story about romance. It's not just pure comedy.

Student Weekly: Some of the techniques and methods used for picking up girls in the film are pretty funny and bizarre. Do you think these tricks would work in real life?

Starbuck: I think they would work. I actually tried some in real life, and they worked for me! [Laughs.]

Ink: I prefer it when a funny guy approaches me. I don't like it when they try too hard to be a gentleman or a super nice guy when I first meet them. It makes me think that they're not being genuine.

Student Weekly: What are your favourite scenes in the film?

Starbuck: There's a scene where I have to apologise to Toe-ei for something I did wrong, and I do it onstage through a microphone at a Slot Machine concert. It was a real event and the audience didn't know what was happening!

Ink: My favourite scene is a dramatic part where I'm really upset with Luag. I'm meant to be drunk and crying, and we shot the scene at 4 o'clock in the morning. It was hard because I haven't had much acting experience, but eventually I got it right. I was really proud of myself.