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He doesnt think of himself as the hero, says Thapthimthong.
His main focus isHow do I get Mook to be interested in me?
you’ve got the option to putsomemachoness into it, but hes not a trained military guy.
He just likes Muay Thai.
Hes supposed to be a little nerdy.
Do not get bigger.
I did find a lot of common traits with Gaitok.
Im not someone who comes across as, like, an aggressive killer.
I just want to protect people.
I got picked on a lot and I hated feeling scared.
I ended up playing a lot of myself.
I realized all I have to do is not act so tough and just be me.
Im a little shy around girls, anyway.
Ive always been like that.
How much did you know about Lisa before working with her?
Did you listen to Blackpink?Ive never listened to K-pop.
It just wasnt my style; I love hip-hop, Afrobeats, and R&B.
So I became familiar with their songs, but I wouldnt say I knew much about Lisa.
But when I met her, I was still starstruck.
She definitely has an aura about her.
They kept saying, We cant tell you yet, but trust me, its someone big.
I thought it was someone Thailand-big, a local actor.
I never thought it would be someoneLisabig.
I had to sign a few more NDAs before they even told me.
So I really just told my dad.
Shed always ask, Hows Lisa?
It was very cute.
And then I called Lisa.
My daughter, at first, was like, What is it?
It was such a sweet moment.
How did you establish that lived-in dynamic?We found some common ground.
We both like hip-hop, we like to dance.
She really made an effort to get to know me.
At first, I assumed she was always busy.
Shes very on time.
We had almost every meal together when we were there.
Wed hang out at the beach, go swimming in the pool.
How do you think Gaitok sees himself?
Does he see himself as this possible sort of hero?He doesnt think of himself as the hero.
His main focus isHow do I get Mook to be interested in me?
How do I tell her I like her?
Obviously, hes a little let down, but that fueled the fire for me in later episodes.
Theres almost a littlebowto it.
This episode has a big action scene for Gaitok where he gets pistol-whipped trying to stop the robber.
How was filming that?I remember not sleeping the night before because I was so excited.
It was a 4:30 a.m. call time and I was a little tired but I was so pumped.
They offered a stand-in for when I fall down, but I asked to do it on my own.
We were falling down on the hot concrete for take after take after take for different angles.
And I had to constantly whip my neck back and fall down.
I was working as a bodyguard this Thai rapper, Way, from a rap group called Thaitanium.
And pay me good money?
I was already so happy.
Then my client was like, Dude, what are you doing?
Go, go, go!
Hes American-born Thai from Brooklyn, so he knows these American shows more than I do.
When I got to the audition, I hadnt watched season one or two yet.
I went in pretty calm, and I think thats why it went well.
It was amazing to get a callback and then meet Mike.
About a week and a half later they confirmed me for the role.
By then I had watched seasons one and two and I was hooked.
Mike asked me, When youve been on the job, is this how they would dress?
And I said no.
They would dress in civilian clothing because they dont want to attract attention.
Combat trousers tucked into boots are only for airborne units.
You dont want to be flashing that around.
I think thats why he eventually gave them jackets and a casual look.
He wanted a clear distinction.
Back then, I was so fresh.
Its halfX Factor,halfBig Brother.It was a lot of hard songs for me.
It was hard to start low and hit those high notes in the chorus.
I cant wait for you guys to hear that.
