Even after soaring into stardom with the celebrated series KinnPorsche and, most recently, 4Minutes, Thai actor Bible Wichapas Sumettikul still keeps his feet on the ground, and his eyes and ears peeled for his next big break. In a no-holdsbarred conversation with Men’s Folio, the 26-year-old romantic gets candid about how his memories serve as treasured anchors amidst a life of hustle and where acting, action, and activity meet in the middle.

What role does fragrance play in Bible Wichaspas’s life?

In a work context, I feel fragrance is the cherry on top; it announces your presence even before people see you. But if it’s fragrance in general, I’d say it’s nostalgia. Scents can take you places or make you remember certain things about them.

On that note, could you describe a smell you imagine with your eyes closed?

[Deep inhales] The smell of old books. Is it parchment? I guess you could say it’s old paper. I like to buy second-hand books, and there used to be a secondhand bookstore near one of my friend’s apartments. I would walk down from the BTS station and pass it whenever I go home. Sometimes, I’d stop by, and that familiar scent would always hit me. It’s kind of hard to describe.

Is there a specific reason you like to get second-hand books?

Besides the cheaper price, I like the fact that these books contain knowledge that has already been shared with someone else. Someone got use out of it, and now it’s my turn, so it feels like the knowledge is literally being passed down.

In fact, I like it more when these books have notes. Second-hand books with writings on them usually sell for even cheaper, and it’s especially great when I come across self-help books on finance or psychology with shorthand notes. It shows me the past readers’ insights — almost a foreword by them. It’s cool to share experiences with a stranger.

You really have no idea how many hands these books have passed through.

Yes. It’s the same with watches. I have a vintage watch that says “To Ross, From Marge”, I think. I don’t know who they are or how it ended up here, but that’s a story only this watch can tell.

For all you know, it could very well be the last surviving artefact of a love story or friendship.

Yeah, maybe.

Sweater, Tod’s

You grew up in Chiang Mai but attended an international school, which meant exposure to multiple cultures. What is a distinct smell or fragrance that immediately brings you back to that time in your life?

It might sound kind of funny, but I remember the smell of the locker room, even though the high school ones are not very pleasant. [Laughs] But I remember it pretty well because it’s a place we spent a lot of time in.

During PE or conditioning — a class where we learned sports science — we would change, have conversations or just horse around in the locker room. There’s nothing quite like it because it’s where we feel our most private. However, the smell is also very distinct because teenagers don’t exactly use the best fragrance, so all these intense smells constantly fight to overpower each other in a small space. Add chlorine from the pool nearby, body spray, musk and sweat to the mix, and you get this interesting concoction, not the most pleasant, but if I smelled that again, it would immediately take me right back.

That’s really interesting. It’s very intimate, yet not at the same time. Everyone is actively in the stage of becoming a full-fledged adult, but not quite yet.

Yes. But I remember it being very hectic and loud, and I like that environment. Everybody is just trying to get to their locker when you walk in. Different conversations are happening everywhere, and people are going over or under to get to where they need to go. Then you have the coach yelling for people to hit the showers asap, and it’s just so much at once. It was so fun and nostalgic.

Is this a big part of what you miss about life before acting?

I do miss it, but I don’t have a strong yearning to go back. I look back at it with fondness and appreciation, but I look to the future more. I still keep in contact with friends I made in high school, though.

Is that tough? I imagine them living in many different corners of the world, which is great for anyone travelling but not so much for keeping in touch.

It’s not the easiest, but we try. Graduation for international schools is always the worst because everybody disperses in different directions afterwards.

I have two friends in Norway, one in Canada, and two in The States, and I’m the only one left in Thailand. We have a group chat to set up video calls, and it’s more difficult than you think because of all the different time zones. But we do it anyway, and catching up with them is always fulfilling.

It’s interesting to see or hear about other people’s lives, where they are heading career-wise or just life in general. When you’re so focused on your progress, successes and failures, hearing about what others are going through puts things into perspective.

It’s the same timeline but a totally different world.

Exactly.

Jacket, pants, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Polo 67 Eau de Toilette, Ralph Lauren Fragrance

And yet you guys shared a special time, attending the same school together. It’s easy to get lost in nostalgia.

Yeah, it is. [Laughs]

Since you mentioned locker rooms, I assume you were or are into sports. Are there any sports you’re good at or are into right now?

I wouldn’t say I’m good at anything, but I like boxing and watching boxing matches. I’ve been really into motorsports, stuff like F1 and MotoGP, lately. I’d love the opportunity to drive on track one day in any track car of sorts. But I mainly love the engineering and human spirit element of the sport. It’s a race against yourself to get the best time, but also against other drivers.

How did you end up in acting then? I’ve read elsewhere that it was not the first thing you considered as a career path in the beginning, but some serendipitous side quests led you to where you are today.

I wanted to take every opportunity that came my way, and when it came to acting, I went to castings to give it a shot. I never had much luck with them until the KinnPorsche project came along because this was the first one I approached correctly. I connected with a senior from a different university preparing to become a director because of our shared interest in production.

He said, “You can’t just go to a casting. You got to do your homework and go through the same process actors go through to prepare for their roles.”

We’re very lucky because there was already so much material online since it was based on an online novel. So I did the homework, went to the casting, and got a callback. At first, I thought it was a good opportunity, but after really doing it and finding an acting coach, I developed my own path. That’s when I started to feel certain that I wanted to do this, and it’s the career I want to pursue.

Was there any other passion or career in particular that you wanted to pursue before acting?

Actually, no. It was a hard time during university because I didn’t even know if being an engineer was right for me. I just thought that it was a good choice. I went into mechanical engineering, but when I started to think about what I would do after graduation, I thought about using my language skills to apply for places with dual language programs. I honestly had no clue and took it step by step. I think a lot of university students are like that.

Yes, many people don’t know what they want to do after university, and many times, they don’t even take on jobs related to their major.

Some people do, and I’m very jealous of them. I had friends in high school who would tell me about their five-year plan: get a 4.0 GPA, go to Berkeley, and so on, and then actually do it. It’s great that they knew what they wanted to do and pursued and achieved their goal. But I had no idea and didn’t want to be a floater. So I just tried my hand at all kinds of things and, very fortunately, fell in love with acting from the get-go.

My first role was also part of such a successful project, and so I’m very fortunate.

Hoodie, pants, all Polo Ralph Lauren; Polo 67 Eau de Toilette, Ralph Lauren Fragrance

Have you learned how to design or create a dream by and for yourself? Or do you feel like it was more about chance and fate?

It depends on how I define my ultimate dream because I never dreamed of becoming an actor. I guess my ultimate dream was always to build a family, have a sustainable income, and the like. But as you know, dreams change as we get older, and values change.

After becoming an actor, I realised that I had found my passion and wanted to pursue it as a career. So, my current dream is to continue acting, develop myself as a storyteller, and fine-tune the skills needed. I have the same philosophy as before — take every opportunity, then ultimately work towards building a family one day.

Let’s rewind a bit. You said dreams change when you grow older, so I’m assuming there have been multiple versions of “the dream” before being an actor and building a family. Can you take us through what those were?

In high school, my dream was to become an entrepreneur. My friends and I were really into finance during high school, but it didn’t really work out, and then I felt like I wasn’t meant to be an entrepreneur, so I started looking toward options that had a more sustainable career path.

I like mechanical things and DIY stuff, so I thought engineering might be the right path for me. So, my dream after that was to get into university. Working on our university applications and writing our essays in high school was stressful because everyone seemed to place a huge emphasis on getting into university. Looking back, I know it was not the be-all and end-all, but the pressure around me made me nervous, and I struggled with the fear of rejection. I didn’t get into my first choice institution; I got into Thammasat University’s engineering program.

My new dream afterwards was to be self-sustainable. I did as many odd jobs as possible to be financially independent. That was my goal until I came across acting. So right now, I would say my next dream or goal I’m working towards is to act in an international production, maybe take on an English-speaking role.

Are we looking at Hollywood?

I’m not particularly biased towards any international production. It can be anywhere that allows me to speak in English. [Hollywood] is a big, big pool with a lot of big fish. Perhaps a smaller pond first, and see where it takes me.

Are there any specific roles you would like to try besides the characters you’ve portrayed?

I’ve always loved action. I have dabbled in it a little, but I want a more action-focused role. I’ve said this before, but this is mainly because your body deteriorates over time, no matter how well you take care of it. I feel now is the time — when I’m still young — to go through this kind of, I guess, “abuse”? At least if there is an injury now, my body could recover better than if it was 10 or 20 years down the road. Touch wood, though! [Laughs] But it’s also just so much fun involved.

You learn new skills every time after stunt training in action school, and the more skills I gain, the more fulfilled I am.

However, in terms of roles, I always want to portray a role that is vastly different from my previous role. I didn’t know that was what I wanted, but after playing Vegas and Great — two very polarising characters — I felt it was fun to be so different. I also learned more about myself and the world by exploring these characters. So, I guess my dream role to play now is vastly different from my previous characters and has the element of action.

It’s actually fascinating to think that you get to experience life through the perspectives of all these people, even if they’re fictional.

It’s fun because you do character studies, which involves delving into their backgrounds and discovering why they are the way they are. I think each type of character can teach you things you didn’t know about your life. Vegas is all stress, pressure, aspiration, and constantly thinking, “I have to”. He is like a cornered, wild animal, ready to strike all the time. Great also has aspirations and dreams, but he’s like a bird in a cage. He’s trying to fly away, so there’s no wild instinct to attack, but more like “I need to escape”. They’re both fight-or-flight instincts.

Sweater, pants, gloves, shoes, all Bottega Veneta

So, what have you learned about yourself from playing Vegas and Great?

Oh, good question. I learned with Vegas that we need to know how to deal with our darkness. Vegas had a lot of self-doubt, which came out in some ways over the conversation. There are external pressures, but Vegas experiences the main pressure from himself. I got to reflect on that in my life, “Am I putting too much pressure on myself? Am I being fair to myself?” Asking those questions helped me move forward with work, especially when I had to do stuff I had never done before or was uncomfortable with. At least, I felt I could be fair to myself and not be overly critical.

With Great, I learned that nothing in life is guaranteed, and you can unknowingly carry regret to your deathbed. Since nothing in life is guaranteed, try to make sure you aren’t living with regret in anything.

When people act in projects that take place over months of filming, they spend a lot of time with their characters. Do you immerse yourself in your character in that time frame or practice separating that persona from your personal, non-filming time in those few months?

I think it’s important to separate. I haven’t reached that level of being unable to separate myself from a character. For me, the struggle is less with the character but with taking work home. So if there was a particularly stressful day of filming — not just because of what the character is facing, but what I’m facing as an actor — I have a hard time not taking it home with me. I’ll take the fatigue or stress home and find it hard to decompress because I’m holding onto all these tension.

Sometimes, it will even carry over to the next day. I’ll worry if the next day will also be another stressful day on set, and sometimes, the reason I’m stressed at work isn’t even because of work. It could also be external stress brought into work, and the director would ask, “Why are you so tense?” So, I have to focus on what’s right in front of me if it’s already passed even though it’s really hard just to let go of it.

How do you make sure you spend enough time on yourself outside of work?

I spend most of my time at home, so I think my brain is always on at some level. I like to consume media that is pertinent to my career. This could be video essays and movies that I overanalyse. But it’s something I genuinely enjoy, so it almost doesn’t feel like work for me. Actors are, after all, public figures, and I’m sure that comes with its own set of challenges — you are also just human. Even though event work takes a lot of energy when I need to meet many people and become a version of myself, it’s not too difficult. I enjoy interacting with the fans and seeing them at events, but I don’t realise how much energy I’m expending until afterwards. But it’s always so fun.

That’s a good thing.

It’s just an experience that you can’t find anywhere else, and I appreciate it every time. Whenever I see or meet the fans, it’s so purposeful because they come here to see me. Even though I don’t get to interact with each of them individually, whenever a joke I play lands or I tell them a funny story, it’s a very interesting give-and-take for me to interact with them that way.

Are their reactions different when you see them on stage, or are they the same?

It’s very different, actually. I’m not focused on their reactions when I’m on stage. I’m aware of them, but I need to focus on what I’m doing on stage to give a good performance. But when it’s an event, I’m just there with them. I’m scanning the room, trying to look at everybody’s faces.

Sweater, jeans, belt, all Tod’s

Is there anything I should do to get your attention as a fan?

I love it when they play corny jokes or attempt pick-up lines on me. I love dad jokes. When there’s a lull in the conversation or if I’m speaking with an emcee and they scream jokes out, I’ll answer back — the back-andforth is like banter. I just love it. It’s almost like comedians bantering with the crowd, except they’re the comedians. [Laughs]

Were there any memorable ones so far that have stuck with you?

It’s so hard to think of a specific one. I think just randomly screaming out “I love you” is cute. I’ll usually respond with “love you too”

Photography Chee Wei

Creative Direction & Styling Izwan Abdullah

Production & Fashion Coordination Manfred Lu

Grooming Atimate Ariyakornanun

Hair Manaswee Kitpisut

Production Assistant & Styling Assistant Ratchada Tuptimphet

The November 2024 issue featuring Bible Wichapas on the cover is available at major newsstands in Malaysia. For order enquiries, please visit this link.