We were lucky to catch up with Chok Suwanavisootr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chok, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Growing up in Thailand, I always love watching Hollywood movies, especially horror genre, but I’m always lacking the confidence to try pursue acting in one even though that always have been my subconscious passion (is that even a thing? lol), I would literally be so nervous that my hands and legs would be visibly shaking every time I have to do a solo project presentation in front of the class back in high school.
So throughout my time in college back in Thailand, I always picked a major that still revolves around film production and marketing before coming to America to further my career and passion in movie by doing internship in film acquisition department at FilmMode Entertainment and as a horror movie content writer for Blumhouse.com, all of which are behind the camera skills.
But once I got to study acting certificate at UCLA Extension, everything changed and it has finally woken up my subconscious passion. I truly gained my confidence and self-esteem by repeatedly taking multiple acting classes there, where at first, I couldn’t barely look at myself in the playback video when we did an acting scene and always find excuse to run to the bathroom rather than seeing and hearing myself on TV as my low self-esteem just somehow always came back to haunt me. However, by the end of my certificate, where I got to be on set and acted in different projects and gone through in-person auditions, I was surprised at myself and didn’t even realize that I wasn’t shaking while acting out in front of people and I wasn’t as nervous anymore. So I’m guessing that the saying, “Practice Makes Perfect” is quite true after all and you don’t even realize it as long as that is the thing you always wanted to do in your subconscious mind for a long time but never had or didn’t think you have the confidence to. As I was lucky enough to have Stan Lee at my graduation back in 2017, he said, “You can only do your best work if you’re doing what you want to do”. That had always stuck with me since and I have been pursuing acting professionally ever since.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Since then, my notable projects include a short film about a demon toilet paper called WIPED, where I wrote, produced, starred in and had won BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE award at Hollywood Blood Horror Festival in 2019. WIPED was then released on Blu-ray and DVD by MRG Media Releasing in 2020.
You can also catch me in Multi-GRAMMY Award winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Honoree Jason Mraz’s new music video called “Pancakes & Butter” from his eighth studio album, Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride.
I also booked my first SAG national commercial for Capital One’s Venture X Credit Card which has been and still airing since 2021.
Another commercial spot I starred in was for FATHOM EVENTS, which played before their associated feature films such as Coraline 15th Anniversary, The Matrix 25th Anniversary, etc. in movie theaters nationwide.
For my favorite comedic role to play to date, you can catch me in HOMELESS (2022), a comedy thriller where I got to play a young vigorously goofy homeless man and got to truly show my animated and comedic acting skills. It is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.
In 2023, I was a scare actor at my favorite annual Halloween event, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, playing different roles such as Tethered from Jordan Peele’s US (2009), Jupiter Claim’s victim from Jordan Peele’s NOPE (2022) and one of Chucky’s victim.
Upcoming short film projects with me starring in the leading role include a dark comedy short film “BOMB VOYAGE” directed by a Korean-American director and VFX artist, JunSang Yoo. It has already won Best Dark Comedy Short and Best Male Director at INDIEX Film Fest and is currently on more festival run. As well as “GAMMA INFINITE”, a sci-fi/drama short film as part of 48 Hour Film Project produced and directed by “Thai Guys” a Seattle based Thai filmmakers with accolades like The Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards aiming to change the conversation on Asian culture.
Two upcoming feature films including a sequel “HOW TO KILL YOUR CO-WORERS AND GET AWAY WITH IT” where I got to work with horror veteran director, Pat Kusnadi and producer, Robbie Dias, and starring alongside the legendary actor Michael Paré (Eddie and the Cruisers). Also reuniting with my horror veteran producer Robbie Dias, we also just wrapped on another sci-fi/comedy feature film, “SIXTH EXTINCTION! NEXT?” that will be releasing real soon.
Currently, I’m working as a scare actor in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire maze at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Night, playing the role of Podcast from the movie running from Sept. 5-Nov. 3. I’m also one of the judges for this year’s Hollywood HorrorFest Film Festival running from Oct. 5-6, fulfilling my love of horror movies all around.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that I tend to stick by throughout my journey are always to stay curious, always have a backup plan of some sort, and this is probably the hardest one, but always be patient as your time will come as long as you don’t give up on your dreams and keep thriving.
I guess the advice for folks who are early in their journey that I can give right now is to not compare yourself with others but rather focus on your path and compete with yourself. Everyone’s journey and timing is different so stay motivated and have patience and your time will come eventually AS LONG AS YOU KEEP GOING AND DON’T GIVE UP!
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
With acting career, there are definitely ups and downs and most of the time, they are the things that you can’t control. But since I have seen the movie BABYLON, starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, I have finally found my purpose in this career that I will live by it as long as I can act.
It was in this scene with Elinor St. John, played by Jean Smart where she told Brad Pitt’s character, “In a hundred years, when you and I are both long gone, any time someone threads a frame of yours through a sprocket, you will be alive again. You see what that means? One day, every person on every film shot this year will be dead. And one day, all those films will be pulled from the vaults, and all their ghosts will dine together, and adventure together, go to the jungle, to war together. A child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen and feel he knows you, like… like a friend, though you breathed your last before he breathed his first. You’ve been given a gift. Be grateful. Your time today is through, but you’ll spend eternity with angels and ghosts.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7832588/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chokdoesacting/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chok7919
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
