Facts about Aokbab Chutimon

While the most famous Thai movies are horror or comedies, a wealth of excellent dramas explore the complexities of Thai society and relationships. One actress that has been making waves in Thai dramas like Bad Genius and Happy Old Year is model-turned-actor Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying. The actress, also known as Aokbab, has won numerous awards locally and internationally for her standout performances.

Here are some facts that you’ll want to know so you can appreciate her acting even more.

1. She got her breakout role as Lynn in Bad Genius

Image credit: @pistachio11

Bad Genius is probably the most internationally successful modern Thai movie. It quickly became Thailand’s highest-grossing film of 2017, then made waves around Asia.

Aokbab’s performance as Lynn put her into the national spotlight. It was her first major role and what a debut it was. Her nuanced performance as a young student experiencing and coming to terms with the realities of how society is stacked against her resonated with audiences worldwide. That performance would set the tone for what lay ahead for the rising star.

In addition to the accolades won by the film nationally and internationally, Aokbab herself also won the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2017. She is the first Thai actress to win it.

2. She has since starred in internationally-renowned dramas

Image credit: @silly.chillies_

Aokbab followed up her star role in Bad Genius with several serious, internationally-renowned dramas. Two that stand out are 2019’s Happy Old Year (ฮาวทูทิ้ง ทิ้งอย่างไร..ไม่ให้เหลือเธอ) and 2021’s One for the Road.

Happy Old Year thrusts Aokbab into the lead role again as an international student returning home to a messy house. The story follows her as she begins to throw out close to everything since they don’t seem to spark joy.

But things become challenging when she discovers that the things she’s been throwing away, while they may not mean much to her, hold a lot of meaning to the people who gave them to her.

The movie was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 34th Golden Rooster Awards.

Image credit: @aokbab.fc

The other film, One for the Road, has her in a supporting role as Noona. The film is about a final road trip that Aood, who is suffering from terminal cancer, is on to return trinkets to his exes and seek redemption for how the relationships ended.

Noona is one of those exes, and Aood’s visit to her marks one of the first big moments of the film. While from Aood’s perspective, he was only seeking to apologize for his poor behavior that led to the breakup and to say goodbye for the final time.

However, Aood’s reunion with Noona ends poorly. Despite his seemingly good intentions, Aood’s words did little but dig up past pains for Noona. The reunion shows the audience that one’s desire for forgiveness and redemption can be selfish and damaging to those around them.

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was produced by Hong Kong film legend Wong Kar-wai.

3. Her straightforward personality has been challenging for her in Thai society

Image credit: @aokbab.fc

In an interview with a day magazine, Aokbab said that she is still adjusting to being too straightforward in how she communicates.

Thais are notorious for how elusive their real feelings are when they speak. Criticism, requests, and even simple statements can get hidden beneath layers of niceties and compliments. By the time, you realize that you’ve accidentally offended someone, they have long since developed a lifelong grudge.

Aokbab says that her straightforwardness, in contrast to Thai elusiveness, has ended up damaging some of her personal and professional relationships. In an interview, she says that her blunt comments come from a place of worry and care since her comments are meant to help the people around her reflect and improve.

But because bluntness can come across as shocking to Thais, her words have ended up making people hurt. Aokbab says that this is something she’s been working on toning down.

4. Her unique nickname has made her the target of bullying

Image credit: @movies4foodiesig

Thai nicknames can be all sorts of strange. But even among names such as Benz and Porn, Aokbab stands out. As a result, she was bullied as a child because of her name.

Aokbab literally means to design in Thai, and it isn’t a word that is typically chosen as a name.

As a result, she was made fun of when she was in elementary school.

For a while, Aokbab says she hated her name. When she grew up, however, she sees the next generation of kids having even stranger names than she does.

5. She once aimed to be a doctor before a modeling gig changed her mind

Image credit: @aokbab.fc

Despite her success on the silver screen, Aokbab has a very relatable Asian schooling experience. Before a chance modeling gig changed her mind, she aimed to be a doctor.

In an interview, Aokbab says she didn’t really have any aspirations growing up, so she decided to become a doctor like her uncle and aunt.

That’s why she was in the math and science track in her high school, far away from the arts field that she is known for now.

All that changed when a high school alumnus visited when she was in 11th grade. The visiting alumnus encouraged her to try modeling, and so Aokbab did. Her experience working as a model allowed her to expand her horizons and form new relationships that ultimately drove her onto the path she is on now.

6. She had teething problems when she began her acting career

Image credit: @aokbab.fc

Despite her immense success after her first lead role, it wasn’t smooth sailing when she began her acting career.

After modeling for 4 years, she began acting professionally. According to her, the biggest challenge is being able to fully understand the characters from the script. She would often discuss her interpretations and whether she understood the role correctly.

Another issue she encountered was over how she delivered her lines. Early in her career, she took classes on television acting where she was told to ham it up. But in her first role with the film director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, she was told to tone it down and deliver her lines more naturally.

Despite the initial difficulties, she has since adapted, saying that she understands that actors and actresses must be able to speak in the way the role demands.

7. Her latest work Hunger is a Netflix thriller about Thai fine dining & the human struggle for excellence

Image credit: @aokbab

In her latest work, Aokbab starred in Netflix’s Hunger. The film premiered on 9 April 2023 and was well-received among both critics and regular movie watchers alike.

Aokbab takes on the lead role as Aoy. Aoy is a young woman in her 20s running her family’s street food restaurant when she gets the invite to work in Thai fine dining under a tough chef.

Without spoiling too much, the movie touches on the struggle for excellence and what it ultimately costs us.

Keep an eye out for Aokbab’s future work

Slowly but surely, Aokbab is carving out a unique niche in the Thai movie industry. If you’re a fan of films that leave you in a reflective mood, Aokbab is definitely an actress to keep an eye on.

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Cover image adapted from @pistachio11 and @aokbab.fc