Cover Story: Mew Suppasit is the living embodiment of ‘sunshine’

As the ‘T-wave’ phenomenon continues to wash over the region, actor and versatile artist Mew Suppasit sits at the peak of it all. Fresh from his appearance at the newly launched FRED boutique at The Exchange TRX in KL, Mew graces our August digital cover — before jetting off right back to work.

Mew Suppasit is glowing — literally. It’s high noon when we find him in his room at Else Kuala Lumpur, where he is scooping up the last bit of his breakfast plate. This is Mew at his most relaxed: he’s stretched out languidly on an armchair, laughing and chatting to his team in rapid Thai, sunlight filtering in through the glazed walls. He looks up and greets us — “Ah, yes, more food!” — and in a matter of minutes, he’s already digging into the packs of mixed rice we’d brought over while I poorly attempt to explain to him the components of nasi dagang.

Just the night before, Mew made his grand appearance at the brand new FRED boutique at The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur — the first of its kind in Malaysia. As a Friend of the Brand, Mew sported the Force 10 collection on his wrist and around his neck — the House’s signature range — bright and modern and ‘infused with the light of The Sunshine Jeweller’.

Sunshine is an appropriate word for Mew himself, who exudes a natural warmth about him wherever he goes. Even amidst the chaos of the FRED boutique opening, where his fans gathered all around, Mew was never without a bright smile on his face — I can say even now the enthusiasm is indeed infectious. He seems loud and boisterous in his many interviews I’ve watched; today, as he tells me, in English, about the movie he’s filming (Replace Me, an upcoming Thai horror flick), he is more courteous and soft-spoken. Yet there is still an air of comfort and ease in the way he carries himself.

Mew has been in the world of showbiz for about a decade now, and he’d started out in the same manner as many young actors of his generation: commercials, music videos, and a stint in reality TV, before settling into roles in Thai series such as I Am Your King and What the Duck: The Series. But when the world — outside the regular viewership of the boys’ love (BL) genre — got the full Mew Suppasit treatment, it was the early stages of the pandemic, and nearly every single person in the Southeast Asian region seemed to be tuning into TharnType: The Series, in which he played the protagonist, Tharn.

He was just fresh out of high school when he was cast in his first commercial, and he recounts the moment with a fond smile: “I asked my mother if I could do it or not, and she said, ‘Yes, you can.’ That was really the start of it.” I wonder aloud whether his family was always supportive of his career, and if he had decided to jump into the entertainment industry since then. “Oh, since then I had to study engineering first,” he retorts with a laugh. “It’s like, to compromise with my family. They wanted me to be either a doctor or engineer.” As anyone can imagine, that was short-lived. As soon as he’d finished with that, Mew was already — as he puts it — “80% in this industry”.

On the freedom of creativity, and mastering the craft

Although Mew is known for his acting, he has always been naturally drawn to music. “I think in the beginning, my hobby was always to sing, so I wanted to be a singer,” he reveals. “But what happened is that I became an actor first, for a long, long [time]. And then after, I released a song.”

The song in question is “Season of You”, which established Mew as a pop ballad artist. When he released his album, 365, a year later, he became the first and only Thai artist to debut an album that reached #13 on iTunes’ Global Digital Artist Ranking, and to get five of its songs in the top 10 of Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart. Whether it was thanks to his existing hoard of fans or the equally enthusiastic BL community, there’s no doubt about it — Mew’s got rhythm.

Even now, zooming from the makeup chair to the balcony where the first shot has been set up, he sings along to the music in the background — a classic Ed Sheeran, and then Dua Lipa’s “Training Season”. And Mew is just as easy on the eyes as he is on the ears. He understands the assignment at once; our photographer, Aun, remains a passive observer for most of the shoot. There’s a vulnerability in the way Mew moves on set, much like watching him on screen. Having had his acting roots in BL romance, he’s dominated the drama and comedy genre all too well by now. Ever the versatile artist, Mew is open to exploring different sides of himself in his craft and mould himself to fit wherever he can.

“It’s totally different,” he tells me, when I ask him how it’s been to prepare for Replace Me. What’s it like, taking on a horror role? He laughs. “I have to ask you back, do you watch horror films?” I admit it’s not a genre I tend to gravitate toward — and he confesses that neither does he — but we agree that Thai horror films are considered the scariest and most intense out there.

“It’s a lot to do, and it can get very tiring,” Mew says. “Actually, I like sci-fi films. I’m not into horror movies that much, so I have to learn a lot. And I have to watch a lot.” Here, he gives another laugh. “And you know, for horror films, you have to imagine everything. Like, when the ghost chases you, or the demon comes. Because it’s not real at all. You have to play everything by yourself. You have to run from nothing, and scream at nothing. It’s kinda hard.”

Mew, even ten years on in his career, cherishes the process of learning. (As it happens, he is currently pursuing a PhD in industrial engineering at Chulalongkorn University.) “I think I can learn a lot more from my job, and also from myself,” he muses. “Like, you know, the good part of being an actor is you can be someone else. And you can learn from that a lot. ‘Cause with all the characters I play, I’ve got some that are similar to me, but some totally different. So I can learn from their mistakes, too.”

On finding joy and ‘light’ in the dark

At 33, Mew seems to be in a much more contented state of mind than when he had first started, fresh out of high school. It certainly shows in the way he talks — carefree and easy. He’s had his fair share of muddying the waters in the past, as well as finding triumph in tribulation, and now he has gotten to a point where positivity is a constant in his life. But hasn’t that always been the case? I ask.

“I think right now especially, it’s true, you know, in these few years,” he says, after a thoughtful pause. Perhaps after much scrutiny over the course of his life, Mew has mastered the art of talking about feelings while simultaneously distilling out the facts that shape them. (Just two weeks ago, it was allegedly confirmed that Mew and a fellow Thai actor are dating. It was also announced last month that Thailand is to become first Southeast Asian nation to legalise same-sex marriage.)

“I’m focusing more on myself, both physically and mentally,” Mew goes on. “That’s why I think it’s good to, like, look at everything in all the good parts, so it can make you happier. It can make you see the world better.”

Self-awareness is also something that Mew has been practising. He sits with his knee up on the sofa, and he leans forward a little like he’s about to reveal a secret. “The first thing is to know yourself,” he says sagely, when I ask him about his ways of pulling himself back up when he feels down.

“To know that you feel bad or you feel sad,” Mew continues. “Because sometimes you don’t know. Sometimes I will sit for, like, maybe a few hours ‘cause I don’t know what happened.” He laughs. “But when you know, you can do something about it. Have something to eat. Call someone that can make you feel relieved. Or do some exercise. But if you cannot deal with that right now, so what? Even if you think about it too much, you know, it will not help at all.”

In other words: don’t worry, be happy is the tagline. Mew is looking ahead without weight on his shoulders. He’s got more acting projects on top of Replace Me coming his way; he’s thriving in the world of fashion; and big news — he’s also planning his return to music.

“I’m gonna go back to do the next album, so please wait for that,” he says, grinning. “The first song is gonna be released soon.” If you’re curious about what Mew has been listening to lately, he’d tell you it’s a lot. But at the moment, he’s obsessed with Karn Kasidej of HYBS. “I would like to do a collab with him,” he says. “Because he’s a good composer and he is a good singer, and he’s just a really good artist.”

On his personal style — and how FRED fits into the picture

As versatile as Mew is artistically, it reflects in his style. He describes his fashion sense as “adaptable” — ever-changing depending on the mood, weather, time and even location when it comes down to it. We dive further into the topic and I can’t help but bring up the current ‘T-wave’ phenomenon taking over the fashion scene, especially in the past year. “Asian Power!” Mew exclaims, laughing. “Yeah, it’s Southeast Asian Power! It’s good for us. I think we need more globalisation, to bring us more to the world. And for the world to see us more. So good for everybody here.”

Jewellery has been a staple in Mew’s sense of style, and he’s always enjoyed the art of accessorising. “With some jewellery, I can mix and match for everyday looks,” he says, “or I can mix and match when I’m, like, at a party or in a ceremony. Or at an event. You know, I go to events a lot, so that’s how I figure it out. You know, when you wear the jewellery, I think it can make it a lot more ‘fun’ to dress up.”

Since partnering up with FRED, Mew’s relationship with jewellery has taken a shift — where he was once a solidly ‘white gold’ person, he’s been more open to yellow golds, and mixing and matching them with diamonds. He recounts his first experience with FRED very fondly: “The first time I worked with this brand was to go for a trip in France, and later also Monaco. So of course, it was a really nice time. And after that, one year later, they brought me to Greece.”

In his easy-breezy era, Mew wants to see more of what the world has to offer. “There are so many countries that I’ve never been to,” he gushes. “Right now, I think I really want to go to Bora Bora. And for the culture, Egypt. Never been to Egypt before. Or maybe Peru. Machu Picchu, right?” He laughs. “I don’t know why I just keep going further away.”

I ask if he’s a big nature person — he gives another laugh. “I’m an everything person, so I can go anywhere. Nature, beach, city, culture, everything. Architecture. And also food! I like to try everything.” As we come full circle, back to food — his empty pack of nasi dagang swept aside for most of the shoot — I finally ask Mew what it is he loves most about Malaysia. “The smiles of people,” he tells me, and flashes his own bright smile. “The people are so nice here, you know? And not just all the fans. All the teams that I’ve met, the people, they’re so good.”

editor-in-chief & creative direction MARTIN TEO | interview PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA | assisted by RONN TAN | styled by ISAAC CHONG & ZIYIN| photography AUN CHUA | photography assistant | SAIFUL AZWAN | videography JIA JUN POR | graphic design JOYCE LIM | grooming CHAT | jewellery FRED | wardrobe BEHATI, HERMES, SANDRO, LONGCHAMP | location ELSE KUALA LUMPUR

Find out more about MEW SUPPASIT in the latest issue of LSA Digital Cover Vol. 024 HERE.