Kang and Cherreen act up
By Suwitcha Chaiyong, photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb and courtesy of Channel One
Young stars Vorakorn Sirisorn (Kang) and Nutjaree Horvejkul (Cherreen) from the singing competition The Star both made their mark starring in different dramas. Kang was outstanding as Mawin in Tor Fun Kab Mawin (Torfun and Mawin), while Cherreen took on the complicated character of Phanwad, a spoiled child who ends up addicted to drugs and working as a prostitute in Banlang Mek (The Cloud Throne).
After playing these dramatic characters, Kang and Cherreen both landed roles in the romantic comedy, Roon Pi Secret Love: Puppy Honey. In Puppy Honey, Kang plays Posh, a Veterinary Science student who is also president of the Animal Lover Club. For the club to survive, he has to recruit more members. Emma (Cherreen) is his main target, but unfortunately Emma dislikes dogs because her cat was killed by a dog.
Student Weekly recently met up the two 21-year-old stars at Channel One, which showed Puppy Honey. Kang and Cherreen told us about their acting experiences and about working together.
Student Weekly: Was taking part in The Star competition important to you?
Kang: I entered The Star because I wanted to achieve my dream. Being a part of The Star wasn't only about finding a job — it was also to find happiness. Because of The Star, I've had opportunities to try new things like acting.
Cherreen: It was my turning point. After joining The Star, I found that I enjoyed working in showbiz. It inspired me to study film. I’m interested in writing scripts and directing.
Student Weekly: Do you consider yourselves mostly as singers or actors?
Kang: It's hard to choose. I’m very new to acting, but I'm getting more acting jobs. Singing is what I love. Every time I perform onstage and entertain the audience I feel happy. Being a singer isn't just about releasing a single. It's also about the fun of singing and entertaining the audience.
Cherreen: I work on acting more because I've been an actress since I was in primary school. I’m competent at acting.
Student Weekly: What was the best thing about starring in Torfun and Mawin and The Cloud Throne?
Kang: Torfun and Mawin was my first TV series, and my character had to show emotions ranging from cheerful to heartbroken. Mawin started out as a happy boy who was close to his mom, but he later had to deal with a broken home. I learned a lot playing that part.
Cherreen: I'd never played a character like Phanwad before The Cloud Throne. It was stressful, but the role taught me how to express more emotions. I don’t have to limit myself to playing cute or innocent characters now. I discovered that I had other abilities.
Student Weekly: How did you feel about working together on Puppy Love?
Kang: Cherreen is a good actress. She has great concentration and can memorise long sections of dialogue in a very short time. Her personality is strong and she can get along well with male actors.
Cherreen: Kang’s musical performances are intriguing. As an actor, he's always well prepared. He has a lot of energy on the set. Working with him is tiring because he always plays pranks on everybody. I had to use my energy to deal with his pranks! [Laughs.]
Student Weekly: Did you enjoy working with dogs?
Cherreen: There were seven dogs in the series. They were all good, but sometimes when the weather was really hot, the dogs didn’t want to perform. We had to hold their collars to make them stand still.
Student Weekly: What do you think of the idea of an Animal Lover Club?
Kang: The Posh character inspired me to think more about stray animals. They don’t have anybody to feed them. And after playing with the dogs on the set, I spent more time with my dogs than before.
Student Weekly: How do you feel about playing characters from famous novels in U-Prince the Series?
Cherreen: It's exciting to portray characters that readers like. It's also a bit stressful wondering if readers of the novels will like the series or not.
Kang: I've heard about the novels but I haven't read them. I feel excited about the series and would like to film it quickly.
prostitute (n): person who has sex for money
veterinary (adj): connected with caring for the health of animals
turning point (n): the time when an important change takes place, usually with the result of improving a situation
competent (adj): having enough skill and knowledge to do something well
broken home (n): a family in which the parents have divorced or separated
concentration (n): the ability to direct all your effort and attention to one thing, without thinking of other things
memorise (v): to learn something carefully so that you can remember it exactly
dialogue (n): conversations in a book, play or film
intriguing (adj): very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious
tiring (adj): making you feel the need to rest or sleep
prank (n): a trick that is played on somebody as a joke
collar (n): a band of leather or plastic that is put around the neck of an animal, especially a dog
stray (n): an animal that has become lost or that has no owner or home
Idiom
make your mark: to become famous and successful in a particular area
