Comedian Tao Takes First TV Series Role, Hires Driver Due to Exhaustion

Tao Anucha, a popular comedian and shadow puppet theatre performer from the Sriram Nampeetchai troupe, has opened up about taking his first television series role in "Ravana Kalyani" on Thai PBS, playing a character named Lom in a monkey shadow play. He revealed that the experience is new territory for him, particularly when it comes to memorizing lines differently from live theatre, since television requires multiple takes and continuous performance control. "It's my first TV series," he said. "I play a character called Lom in a monkey shadow play. I asked the director about the character type, and he said not to overthink it and just play along. But there's one challenge: when we perform live theatre, we just keep talking, but with series work, once I memorise the lines, if they're long I might paraphrase to what I understand, and sometimes I ad-lib. When we do retakes, I can't remember what I said before. We have to shoot multiple takes, though not too many. I try not to move around too much or I'll forget my lines. It's a new experience, but honestly not that difficult."

When asked how he manages multiple projects, Tao confirmed he hired a driver. "That's the only solution," he said. "Lately things have been piling up—back pain and drowsiness while driving. I'm doing four different jobs in one day, and driving itself is work. Otherwise, why would people have driving as a profession?" He admitted he realised he couldn't safely drive himself anymore. "Yes, I need help. People have been telling me this for a while, but I don't easily trust others. However, my brother drives for me, and at 100 kilometres per hour I can actually sleep."

Regarding his back pain, Tao explained he found a solution: stretching every night has improved his condition significantly. "It's probably office syndrome, which many people get from sitting too long—whether in a chair, on the floor, or in a car," he said. "It hasn't reached the point where I need physiotherapy. I do self-care, and it's much better now. Fans have also been considerate, asking me to leave events quickly, so I don't have to stay long for photos anymore. Now I just hold hands and go home."

Tao also shared about his sleep schedule during filming. "My eyes are always droopy and swollen," he joked. When filming the series, he sleeps only two hours, or sometimes just one. During a recent merit-making ceremony, he didn't sleep at all. When asked if he feared overworking and ending up hospitalised, he said, "I'm scared. Whenever I have free time, I sleep heavily, drink water, and do stretches. There were moments while driving when I dozed off—just a moment—but I'd jolt awake. Sometimes I'd pull over to nap, which delayed my drive home even more. By the time I got home, I'd wake up."

Regarding this year's shadow puppet theatre troupe's annual show, Tao said it would follow the usual format. "We have organisers involved this year, and it's sponsored, but it's not necessarily grander than previous years. We just aim to deliver as well as we always do."

Asked if he feels pressure to top last year's show, which was "King Naresuan," he explained that the troupe decided to go softer this year. "The story choice was deliberate because you can't compare mythological tales. This year's piece, 'Khun Chang Khun Phaen: The Origin of Khun Phaen,' basically has me playing myself," he laughed. "With stories like this, it's hard to define my exact character role when I'm playing a comedic part. I'm basically there to add colour to the story. I hope everyone will follow my first TV series, 'Ravana Kalyani.'"