For fans of Thai BL dramas, seeing your favourite actors up close is an experience unlike any other. When Joss and Gawin arrived in London for their first European fan-meeting tour, many of us were quite excited. Fans had spent hours immersed in My Golden Blood, following the story of Mark, a vampire struggling with instinct and morality, and Tong, the young man whose strength awakens Mark’s humanity. To finally meet the actors behind these beloved characters, and witness their charm and chemistry in person, was a thrilling convergence of fiction and reality.

My Golden Blood combines supernatural tension with romance, exploring themes such as transformation and love. Joss’ portrayal of Mark required a dive into physical and emotional ”extremes”, from imagining the intensity of hunger and craving as a vampire to discovering the gradual emergence of human emotion. The series traces Mark’s evolution from a cold, detached immortal into someone capable of love. Opposite him, Gawin’s Tong is a character whose journey balances bravery and, somewhat, vulnerability. Stepping out of a sheltered life, facing new experiences, and confronting danger and love, Tong grows stronger with each challenge. 

Meeting audiences in London, Madrid, and Paris gave the actors a firsthand sense of how far their work reaches and how the emotions expressed in their performances carry across cultures. For Joss and Gawin, performing and interacting with fans in these cities was a vivid reminder of how fictional characters can transform into personas cherished by audiences around the world. 

And recently, thanks to the kindness of Joss and Gawin, as well as GMMTV, we had the chance to sit down with the actors and explore their respective roles in depth.

VOA: Mark is a vampire who wrestles with instinct and morality. How did you approach showing that constant inner battle – what physical or emotional cues did you focus on to convey the tension between hunger and love?

Joss: I tried innovative fasting for a few days to see how hungry I would feel and how much I would crave food. After not eating for several days, having that first bite gave me an idea of what hunger and starvation feel like. Of course, for a vampire, that sensation would be much more intense. For Mark, as a vampire, he doesn’t have any emotions or feelings at the beginning. But as the series progresses, he gradually becomes more human again. Imagining how it feels for him to experience something for the first time, like smelling something or feeling temperature, was quite challenging, because as humans, we experience those things every day without thinking about them. What helped me most was talking to my director, P’Ark, before each scene to understand where Mark was emotionally and mentally at that point in his transformation. There’s a lot of development in his feelings as he becomes human again, and having a great director to guide me through that process made it much easier.

VOA: Tong is strong but also kind of vulnerable; how did you make him feel like a real, interesting character and not just the typical ‘damsel in distress’?

Gawin: First of all, thanks for saying that. I never really saw him as just a vulnerable character. Of course, you can see his softer side throughout the stories, especially in the beginning, because of his situation. He’s kind of like a “bubble boy,” you know? He’s been staying home his whole life. But once he steps out of that, I actually think he’s really brave, going to study in the city without knowing anyone. He’s really excited to try new things. He’s trying to figure out his life. Everything is so new to him, and he just goes for it. Of course, sometimes he’s vulnerable, but I think that’s because of love. Once you fall in love, you are kind of vulnerable to the other person; you open yourself up, you might feel weak at times, but also strong in a different way. I really see him as a brave character throughout the story. His journey from being this sheltered boy to someone who has to fight vampires and deal with the loss of someone he really loved, like Tonka, makes him stronger and more determined to fight for the ones he loves. I really admire that about him.

VOA: Fans love a good transformation story. What part of playing a vampire let you tap into a side of yourself we haven’t seen before?

Joss: I think I have become more mature; that’s probably what I’ve gained the most. I’ve always wanted to be more mature; I think everybody does as they get older. I’ve also learned to stay calmer and react to things more slowly, and I think that part stuck with me the most, which is something I really appreciate. I think also just the intensity of feelings is a bit of a contrast. With Mark, on the outside, he’s very cold, but as he starts becoming more human, all those emotions and feelings grow stronger inside him, but he has to keep suppressing them.

VOA: Tong awakens Mark’s humanity. What personal qualities or small choices did you use to express the quiet strength that inspires such a transformation?

Gawin: Yes, I kind of feel that way because of the golden blood and everything, but I also think it connects to the theme of love, too, because once you fall in love, you kind of become more vulnerable. It changes you a bit – you start to feel that love, and at the same time, you start to feel fear – fear of losing the person you love. And I think that’s what makes Mark more human in a way.

And for the strength and the transformation, at first, I saw Tong as a bit weak. But throughout the story, he met Mark and got pulled into the vampire world, and he slowly became stronger because of everything he went through. Things kept getting more dangerous, and he had to start being more careful, more aware of himself. He started to lose people he loved, even finding out that his stepmom had lied to him his whole life. Some people might grow numb or angry after all that, but for Tong, it made him stronger throughout the story. By the end, he becomes a completely different person. He starts fighting back against the vampires and becomes almost fearless. I also think that’s because of love – he’s afraid of losing Mark, so he fights for him. In the end, he sacrifices himself for Mark, and I just really admire that about him. He’s incredibly brave for doing that, and he becomes really strong in the end.

VOA: You and Gawin share a natural chemistry on screen. Was there a particular rehearsal or scene that helped crystallise that bond early in production?

Joss: We didn’t really rehearse much, to be honest. We just talked a lot about the scenes, asked a lot of questions, and I think that’s the most important part. That’s probably how we got it right in the end. We tried to really understand the characters from the script and then just let things flow. Whatever happened in the scene happened, and that’s what acting is, you know? You never really know what’s going to happen.

VOA: If Tong had a theme song, what would it be, and did your musical instincts help you act out those ‘beats’ on screen?

Gawin: So, if Tong had a theme song, I think throughout the shooting, I was really into Sufjan Stevens – songs like Mystery of Love and Futile Devices. I just had to find material that could help me tap into that emotion while I was acting, and his music really did. It really helped me. Before going into scenes, I liked to listen to music that made me feel vulnerable and in love – to feel like I was in love with someone – so yes, it really helped me get into character.

VOA: Playing an immortal who craves humanity offers an interesting perspective. Did portraying Mark’s eternal life and his love for Tong change how you think about human emotions and what it means to truly live?

Joss: I think I have found that with Mark, the way he loves Tong is just incredible. The love he has is very intense, both physically and emotionally. But it’s also such a pure kind of love that he wants to spend the rest of his immortal life with him, yet at the same time, he wants to be human again. I think that’s what’s so beautiful about it. Even though he’s a vampire who can live forever, he can’t really feel – not emotions, not even sensations. And that’s what makes being human so special, because we feel pain, we feel happiness, we feel all the emotions. Even though humans eventually die someday, those memories and emotions are what make us alive. And being able to experience and look back on them – that’s what it really means to be human.

VOA: Your friendship with Joss is well-known. How did that real bond help you navigate the intimate or high-tension moments between Tong and Mark?

Gawin: I mean, like I’ve said in many interviews, Joss and I got to know each other long before we started shooting – we had almost a year to bond. We hung out a lot, and that time really helped us build trust. I think that connection shows on screen. During filming, I liked to surprise him in some scenes – sometimes I’d go slightly off script just to get a real, natural reaction from him. It made everything feel more genuine and alive.

VOA: Now that you’ve met European fans in Madrid, London, and Paris, what moments from the fan meetings stood out to you most, and did anything about their reactions to Mark or your journey as an actor surprise you? 

Joss: I mean, first of all, the Europe tour was amazing –  the people, the food, the cities, the weather, and of course, the fans. They were all very lovely and passionate. I’m just really grateful that I got to meet them and see how kind and supportive they are. Knowing that I have fans across the world is truly amazing. I feel very blessed. Seeing that My Golden Blood and my character had such a positive impact on their lives just made me feel really fulfilled.

VOA: This being your first European fan-meeting tour, what has surprised you most about meeting fans from different cultures, and what moments did you look forward to or have stood out in cities like Madrid, London, and Paris?

Gawin: Before coming to the fan meetings, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been to Europe before, but only for vacations, so this experience felt different – I was here to work and meet people, which initially felt a bit unfamiliar. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone, and I truly appreciate fans coming from wherever they are to the shows. Now that I’ve completed the Madrid event, I can say it was incredible. The fans there had so much energy and participated in everything we did. When we asked them to stand up for a song at the end of the show, they all did, and I could really feel their excitement. That energy gave us a huge boost during the performance. Being on stage and experiencing the passion of fans from different cultures in Madrid, London, and Paris was amazing. Even ahead of the London show, after seeing fans at the meet-and-greet, I could already feel their excitement. I just really appreciate everyone who came and made the experience so memorable.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © GMMTV

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