New plays parallel parts
By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of Media Studio
Did you know
New directed the trailer for Parallel Universe.
After working in showbiz since 2006, Wongsakorn Paramatthakorn (New) finally had a big breakthrough last year when he played the faithful Mai in the TV period drama, Ruea Ka Long (Ka Long’s Residence).
More recently, the 30-something actor impressed viewers once again when he starred opposite Pancake KIhemanit in the TV drama, Peek Mong Koot (Artificial Crown). In that show, New successfully worked against his nice guy image to play a mischievous character who tries to manipulate Treeapsorn (Pancake) with his charm.
Student Weekly recently had an interview with the busy New via e-mail. The talented actor told us about his successful career and about his upcoming series, Kee Ta Lo Ka (Parallel Universe).
Student Weekly: What were you like when you were a kid?
New: I paid attention to school activities and played basketball since junior high. Friends and junior students always gave me support by cheering during my basketball games.
Student Weekly: How do you feel about being voted actor of the year on the Pantip website for the 2013 Drama Awards?
New: I honestly didn’t know that people voted for me online. I’m glad that people like me. It’s encouraging and gives me more energy to work. I’m proud to know that people appreciate my work. Thank you to everybody who voted for me!
Student Weekly: How did you prepare to play a policeman in Parallel Universe?
New: I didn’t need much special training because shooting is my hobby. I play Police Captain Pakawat, and I have some action and shooting scenes, which is fine for me. My character is an undercover detective who investigates crimes involving drugs. I sometimes have to disguise myself by dressing up as different characters.
Student Weekly: Do you ever get confused about your characters when you’re filming two dramas at the same time?
New: Not at all, because the characters are totally different. In Artificial Crown, I play an arrogant businessman, but in Parallel Universe, I’m a funny detective who hangs out in slums.
Student Weekly: What’s it like working with the two lead actresses in each drama?
New: I’d worked with Pancake before, so we could work smoothly together. On the other hand, this is the first time I’ve work with Green Auttaporn, so we had to adjust to each other a bit. But Green is a hard-working actress and we get along well on the set.
Student Weekly: Do you believe that a parallel universe might really exist?
New: I half believe it. If our technology improves, we might be able to prove the existence of a parallel universe, but nobody can prove it yet.
Student Weekly: Have any of your roles been particularly difficult to play?
New: Every role is tough. It’s usually difficult to become a new character at first because it’s always different to how I am in real life. It takes time to understand a role deeply, but I get into it after a while.
Student Weekly: What techniques do you use to get into character?
New: I use my imagination. For example, if the character is a 30-year-old businessman, I have to imagine his background and the reasons for his behaviour based on the script. I also talk to the director and scriptwriter about each character.
Student Weekly: If you had to choose between working on a TV drama, a stage play, or being a TV host and model, which one would you prefer?
New: I like TV dramas and stage plays. I’d also like to work behind the scenes on a TV drama. I am curious to know more about how television crews work. But I never want to stop acting. I’m happy working on a drama set.
Student Weekly: Do you have any message for your viewers?
New: Anybody who likes dramas with imagination and miracles shouldn’t miss Parallel Universe. There’s also a lot of content about the dangers of drugs in this series. For young viewers, there should be some parental guidance when watching TV dramas.
Vocabulary
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breakthrough (n): an important development that may lead to an achievement
mischievous (adj): enjoying playing tricks and annoying people
manipulate (v): to control or influence somebody or something, often in a dishonest way so that they do not realise it
undercover (adj): working or done secretly in order to find out information for the police, a government, etc.
disguise (v): to change your appearance so that people cannot recognise you
arrogant (adj): behaving in a proud, unpleasant way, showing little thought for other people
slum (n): an area of a city that is very poor and where the houses are dirty and in poor condition
parallel universe (n): the hypothetical idea that two or more universes exist together at the same
parental (adj): connected with a parent
trailer (n): a series of short scenes from a film or television programme, shown in advance to advertise it
