An officer and an entertainer

A complete rookie when he stepped onto the film set of “The Legend of King Naresuan” 12 years ago, serving military officer Lt-Colonel Wanchana Sawasdee seems disappointed that the long drawn-out movie series has finally come to an end.

“I’d love shooting to continue indefinitely,” he confirms with a warm smile. “Working in front of the cameras brings me joy and takes me into a world where I don’t have to worry about my work. Being on the set is like leisure time for me and I enjoy meeting my friends and seeing how they act. Everyday is different when you’re shooting.”

The making of the epic has gone on for so long that even director MC Chatrichalerm Yukol aka “Than Mui” equipped in his last interview that the actor had managed to be promoted from major to lieutenant colonel.

Wanchana, who is now 40, was one of several soldiers ordered to take part in the casting for the movie 12 years ago. At that time, he recalls, he had no idea who Than Mui was.

“I didn't even know whether his name was Chatri Chalermyukol or Chatrichalerm Yukol,” he laughs.

Than Mui, on the other hand, knew he had found his King Naresuan but wisely decided to slowly break the young man in to the acting world. He encouraged Wanchana to stay around the film set, working as and when needed as a stand-in and reading the scripts of other characters so he could help them during rehearsals.

Wanchana recalls being thrilled at being part of this new world and having fun as he learned such skills as horse riding as well as acting.

“I was so excited when we finally began shooting and I had to ride my horse through explosions and into battle. Eventually I gained confidence and was pleased to see just how much I could do,” he says.

Wanchana gradually became the trademark of the movie and was happy to provide updates to the press at public events.

“Than Mui has taught me such a lot. I love listening to him talk about his life and his filmmaking experiences. He has many interesting ‘behind-the-scenes stories,” he says.

His close relationship with the director has led to his being cast in another two of Than Mui’s productions. He stars in the upcoming TV series “Pantai Norasingh” as King Sanpetch XIII, aka King Tiger, and is scheduled to play opposite Sawika “Pinky” Chaiyadech in another series, “Waen Thongluang”, which is expected to air on Channel 8.

“It is the story of Than Mui’s father, His Royal Highness Prince Anusorn Mongkolkarn. It’s a good opportunity for me to play a more dramatic role,” he says.

Wanchana has discovered that being a public figure is beneficial to his military career, not least because his fame earns him better cooperation from both the public and his army colleagues when he is on duty.

“The world has changed. The battlefield is no longer on our country’s borders but the war today is on drugs as well as terrorists. Communicating with the public is important and being recognised as a public figure helps us run operations more smoothly,” he says.

Wanchana has also adapted his career plans to meet the exigencies of filming. After graduating from the academy, the young officer had intended to join a combat unit but with the “Naresuan” continuing for more than a decade, switched to civil service. He worked for a time as a deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai army alongside Lt-Colonel Winthai Suvaree, who plays Prince Ekatotsarot in the film, and is now battalion commander of a cadet regiment at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy at Khao Cha-ngok, Nakhon Nayok.

Although Wanchana finds it difficult at times to juggle his military and acting careers, he is happy that the income from playing King Naresuan is giving his family a better life.

“The extra money certainly makes my family more comfortable and I’m very happy being both an officer and an actor,” he says, adding that his ultimate goal is to achieve the position of Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, “the same as any other army officer,” he notes.

In the meantime, he’s planning to continue to devote his free time to building his entertainment career and would like to do more drama.

“There are so many actors that we don’t instantly recognise these days. I’m lucky in that people associate me with the King Naresuan character, I would like to try more dramatic acting but I have to be careful that this dovetails well with my military career,” he says.

 

Crowning Achievement

 “The Legend of King Naresuan |Part V” will be released in cinemas on May 29.