New direction for James Ji in "Timeline"
Veteran filmmaker Nonzee "Oui" Nimibutr is full of praise for his young star Jirayu "James Ji" Tangsrisuk in his new weepy melodrama "Timeline Jodmai Khwam Songjam", which hit big screens just in time to make Valentine's Day especially tearful.
It’s the second movie for the soap-opera hunk, who made his feature-film debut with last year’s “First Love”.
Nonzee was most impressed with his leading man’s determination and discipline.
“I told him that I didn’t want him to act – I just wanted him to be the character [Tan, an average northern boy] and it would work out best,” Nonzee says.
Now you’d think telling a Thai actor not to act might make things difficult, but it was a cinch for James Ji, a native of Phichit. It wasn’t all that long ago he was pretty much like Tan – just an average northern boy who enjoyed riding his motorcycle around.
“It was fun working with Phi Oui. He is a great director and he puts his trust in all the cast members,” James Ji told OK! magazine.
He totally related to his character. “Tan is a country boy. He’s not sure of his dreams and goals except that he wants to live in Bangkok, have fun and be independent.”
Before coming to the capital two years ago, James Ji says he was was “living Tan’s life”.
“I didn’t know what I was about to get into. I just followed all the steps that were planned for me,” he said.
Now there’s no turning back, and James Ji is looking forward to continuing his adventures in showbiz. “I mean to act better, sing better and develop myself and I hope all my fans will follow my work.”
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From the ring to the pitch
For Thai boxers, retirement from the ring usually means a second career as a singer or actor, but former champion and “Thai Fight” hero Bombat “Buakow” Banchamek has found a way to stay a professional athlete, signing a deal to play with the RBAC Football Club.
He made his debut on Sunday with his jersey bearing the name “Sombat” – his real name – on the back.
He’s a forward for RBAC, a team in the regional AIS League. It’s a move that should help draw more fans to the division two league.
“I like playing football and since I was a youngster, I always dreamed of becoming a footballer. When the team manager approached me, I decided to try it out,” he says.
He’ll have to train more than he did for boxing, which mainly entailed punching a sandbag.
“I must warn the defensive players of the rival teams to be very careful because my tackles could be ‘rough’,” he jokes.
