Ten years ago, Jinn and Sky worked together on a Thai television drama, with Sky still a teenager and Jinn already establishing himself in the industry. Neither could have anticipated that they would eventually reunite as the romantic leads of Ocean’s Heart. Their return to the same television set also comes at a fascinating time for Thai entertainment, as BL productions continue to attract international audiences and performers who have built successful careers in mainstream shows begin exploring the genre.
Having known each other for so many years, Jinn and Sky appeared completely comfortable in one another’s company. They were both incredibly kind and welcoming throughout our interview, and we laughed a lot, especially when I asked them to describe Ocean’s Heart in just three words; neither seemed to know where to begin. They looked at each other, laughed, wondered whether answering in Thai might be easier, and then tried to settle on the right English words. Love was an obvious choice, but the other two proved harder; they went back and forth between action, fighting, touching someone’s heart, and believing in something, occasionally changing their minds halfway through an answer. It was funny to watch them trying to agree, and although we never quite found the three final words, I enjoyed every minute of their cheerful disagreement.
Jinn, whose full name is Jinna Navarat, has spent over a decade working in Thai television and cinema, appearing in productions such as Mungkorn Chao Phraya, Mae Bia and Sao 5, with action dramas building a substantial part of his career. He also appeared in the acclaimed 2015 film How to Win at Checkers (Every Time). Sky, Suttinan Thiensuwan, began acting as a child, appearing in dramas including Malai Sarm Chai and Ruen Kalong, and more recently played Pae in the BL series My Stubborn (2025).
I have to say that Sky and I actually met ten years ago. We worked together in a drama back then, but at that time, he played the younger brother of the female lead. And now we’ve come together as partners, so the first thing I felt was happiness. I was really happy, because he’s very talented, very talented – JINN
For decades, Thai television has been dominated by lakorn, dramas that have built loyal audiences through various stories, including romance and revenge. The rise of BL and GL productions has changed the industry’s international prospects considerably, with streaming platforms allowing Thai series to reach viewers who might previously have had little exposure to the country’s television programmes. The figures are impressive: according to research by SCB EIC, reported by The Nation in June 2026, Thailand accounted for more than half of Asia’s BL and GL series production in 2024, reflecting just how important these genres have become to the country’s entertainment business.
Produced by Kongthup Production, Ocean’s Heart (ทะเลเคียงใจ) is Jinn’s first venture into the BL genre, while Sky is already familiar with this type of production, having worked on BL projects before. The series brings together romance, secrets and action, with Jinn taking on the role of Patawee, a man who has lost faith in love, and Sky portraying Anda, whose arrival in Patawee’s life is anything but a coincidence, setting in motion a complicated relationship in which neither character is quite prepared for what lies ahead.
For Jinn and Sky, however, Ocean’s Heart is much more than an opportunity to reach a wider audience, as both have taken on characters whose complicated personalities and personal histories required considerable thought and preparation. Although romance plays an important part in the series, neither actor wanted to rely solely on the relationship between Patawee and Anda to hold our attention, preferring instead to understand what motivates their characters, how their past experiences have affected them and why they behave as they do.
Jinn portrays Patawee, a man whose past experiences have left him distrustful of love, and rather than concentrating simply on how the character expresses his emotions, the actor wanted to understand what had happened in his life to make him so reluctant to trust another person. He spent considerable time studying Patawee’s background, his upbringing and the difficulties he had encountered, believing that a proper understanding of these experiences was essential if he was to portray the character’s behaviour and emotional struggles convincingly.
“Actually, for me, I read the script very carefully to understand everything about Patawee – what he has been through, how he grew up, what difficulties he has faced and what kinds of life experiences he has had,” he explained. “I try to understand all those aspects of his life and absorb as much of them as possible, so that I can really immerse myself in the character and understand him as deeply as I can.”
Jinn also described discussing his interpretation with the director, P’Khet, whom he identified as the CEO of the production company. “I ask him whether my understanding of the character matches his own vision, and then we discuss our ideas and find common ground so that we can bring Patawee to life as accurately as possible.”
From the way Jinn spoke about his preparation, he appears to spend considerable time trying to understand why a character behaves in a certain way, rather than simply concentrating on how those emotions should be expressed on screen. This seems important when playing someone like Patawee, whose loss of faith in love could easily be mistaken for simple coldness or indifference. After all, someone who has been hurt in a relationship does not necessarily stop wanting affection or companionship; they may simply find it difficult to trust another person again, even when part of them still hopes to experience that closeness.
Sky’s character, Anda, enters Patawee’s life carrying secrets of his own, and the circumstances surrounding his arrival appear to be central to the series’ suspense. Sky was careful not to reveal too much about the story, although his attempts to explain the character’s intentions prompted an amusing moment of consultation with Jinn.
“For me, it was simply about understanding the character and really immersing myself in the role, just as Jinn said,” Sky told me. “We have our own secret, and we have a certain mission that we need to carry out involving Khun Patawee. That’s really the main thing.”J
Jinn responded with a brief “Yes,” before Sky continued, evidently aware that he was approaching information the audience was not yet supposed to know.
“There actually is something, but our main objective… sometimes talking about it might reveal too much of the story, right?” he asked, looking towards Jinn. “So, really, it was about understanding the script and the character as much as possible.”
For Jinn, Ocean’s Heart has also required an adjustment in his understanding of romantic storytelling.
“Well, first of all, this is a BL series, and it’s actually my first time entering the world of BL series,” he said. “And if you ask whether it’s something new for me, then yes, it’s very new for me, because I’ve mostly worked in drama and action productions.”
What I’m excited about is that my character has two personalities, two different sides to him. There’s a lot of complexity to this character because he has two different personalities within the same person – SKY
He went on to explain that working on the series had encouraged him to understand BL culture more closely, including the emotional experiences of the characters and the importance of approaching their relationships with sensitivity. “I’ve also come to understand the character more deeply – how he feels, what goes on inside him and what he’s thinking.”
One of his most interesting observations concerned the relationship between an actor and the character he portrays.
“We have to really get inside the character and understand his feelings and thoughts, and understand how to love this character. Before the character can love someone else, we have to love the character ourselves first.”
I found Jinn’s explanation interesting because discussions about BL performances often concentrate on the chemistry between the leading actors, whereas he seemed far more concerned with understanding Patawee as an individual, including the experiences that had affected his ability to trust and love another person. His point was that before he could convincingly portray Patawee developing feelings for Anda, he needed to understand the character well enough to sympathise with him, even when his behaviour might be difficult to justify, because without that understanding, the romantic relationship would have very little emotional substance, regardless of how convincing the actors might appear together on screen.
“That made me feel that this role was challenging, and it made me want to portray Patawee in the best possible way,” he added.
Despite his extensive experience in Thai television, Jinn spoke openly about how much he still had to learn, especially when approaching a genre that required him to explore emotions and relationships differently from the roles he had played in the past. Sky, meanwhile, had his own difficulties to contend with, as portraying Anda meant distinguishing between two very different sides of the same person, something that demanded careful preparation to ensure that audiences could recognise each personality without losing sight of the character as a whole.
“What I’m excited about is that my character has two personalities, two different sides to him. There’s a lot of complexity to this character because he has two different personalities within the same person,” Sky explained, then added, “I felt that I had to do a lot of preparation, because when I was acting, I had to make those two personalities very different from each other. I had to portray them in a way that made the distinction between them very clear.”
Having started acting as a child, Sky has taken on a variety of roles over the years, but Anda presents a different challenge, especially as his secret mission and contrasting personalities make it difficult to know what his character is really thinking. Away from the story, however, the relationship between the two actors is much easier to understand; as mentioned before, they first worked together almost ten years ago, when Sky was still a teenager playing the female lead’s younger brother, and neither imagined they would eventually reunite as romantic leads in a BL series.
I was curious whether knowing each other for so many years had made working on Ocean’s Heart easier, especially as portraying a romantic relationship and filming action scenes require considerable trust between actors. In Jinn and Sky’s case, they already knew each other well enough to speak openly, ask for advice, and feel comfortable working together, something that newly formed acting partnerships often need time to develop.
Jinn’s response was affectionate: “First of all, I have to say that Sky and I actually met ten years ago. We worked together in a drama back then, but at that time, he played the younger brother of the female lead. And now we’ve come together as partners, so the first thing I felt was happiness. I was really happy, because he’s very talented, very talented.”
Also for Jinn, the most valuable aspect of their relationship was the freedom to communicate openly. “That made me feel much more comfortable when it came to working together, because when you trust your partner and feel that you can talk to each other, everything will definitely turn out well in our own way. That’s what made me feel comfortable.”
Jinn admitted that he had not expected to find himself playing a romantic lead opposite Sky, but once he read the script and realised they would be working together as a BL pairing, he became even more determined to make their characters’ relationship believable.
“But when I started reading the script and realised that we would be playing opposite each other, this time as a pairing in a BL series, I thought, wow, that made me want to do an even better job.”
I feel that when people come to appreciate our work and give it importance, it has an impact on us. It makes us want to continue working in this industry and keep doing our very best, so that the work we produce can be as good as possible – JINN
He was equally candid about wanting audiences to become emotionally invested in Patawee and Anda. “I really wanted to portray these two characters, whether it’s Patawee or Anda, in a way that would make audiences ship them as much as possible, but in our own style.”
That final qualification, “in our own style”, was important. The Thai BL industry has developed a sophisticated culture around established acting pairings, with audiences frequently becoming invested in the performers’ relationship beyond the fictional circumstances of their characters. The term คู่จิ้น, commonly used in Thai entertainment, refers to a pairing that fans enjoy imagining romantically, whether on screen or through their public interactions. This culture can provide actors with extraordinary opportunities, but it also creates pressure to fulfil expectations that extend outside of the scripts they are given.
Jinn seemed aware of those expectations without wanting to imitate an existing partnership. His interest was in discovering how he and Sky could portray the relationship convincingly through their own personalities and acting instincts. Their friendship, he suggested, had made that process considerably easier.
“So when I came to work with him again, I felt that it wasn’t difficult at all. It really wasn’t difficult at all for me to work on this series.”
Sky’s recollection of their first meeting was really endearing; he remembered Jinn as a strong, dependable older actor, someone whose work in action dramas had made an impression on him long before they were cast together in Ocean’s Heart.
“For me, as P’Jinn said, we met ten years ago, and I was still very young at the time, around 13 or 14 years old. My first impression of P’Jin was that he was someone I could rely on, even back then. He seemed like a very strong person- how should I put it, someone who was physically strong, you know, because he acted in action dramas and things like that. I felt that he was very kind and dependable.”
I found Sky’s description of Jinn rather endearing, especially when he struggled to find the right words to describe his physical presence, but beneath the laughter there was admiration for someone he had known since his teenage years and had come to regard not only as an experienced colleague he could turn to for advice, but also as a close friend outside of work.
“Actually, it doesn’t even have to be about the entertainment industry. For me, P’Jinn is someone I can go to for advice about anything, no matter what it is. I can already talk to him about absolutely anything.”
That friendship proved especially useful when filming the action sequences in Ocean’s Heart. Although the series is primarily being introduced as a romantic drama, Anda’s storyline also involves physical confrontation, and Sky was able to seek guidance from someone who had spent years developing the necessary skills.
“P’Jinn is very skilled when it comes to fighting, performing action scenes and things like that,” Sky explained. “In this series, my character, Anda, also has fighting and action scenes, so I can always ask P’Jinn for advice because he’s already an expert. He’s really very good at action scenes. So I didn’t have anything to worry about when it came to the action sequences in this series.”
Sky concluded with simple but touching words: “I just feel that it’s good that it’s P’Jinn, and I’m really happy that we’ve been paired together. We can rely on each other.”
Our conversation eventually turned to the growing international popularity of Thai entertainment, something I have followed with great interest over the years. Streaming platforms and international fan events have helped introduce Thai actors to viewers, while the Thai government has also recognised the commercial potential of TV series and films, supporting efforts to promote them overseas.
When I asked Jinn about the growing international interest in Thai entertainment, he seemed genuinely pleased that audiences abroad were discovering and appreciating the work being produced in his country.
“For me, I feel happy. I’m happy on behalf of Thai people that our international friends, everyone from other countries, enjoy and appreciate our work.”
Having spent many years working in television and cinema, Jinn was also keen to explain that he did not see any reason to separate BL from other forms of entertainment, particularly when every production involves the efforts of so many people.
“Because I don’t look at it as, this is a drama, this is a series, this is a film, this is BL, or whatever it might be. I see it as a piece of work that everyone has contributed to.”
I liked his answer because it reflected his respect for the industry as a whole, rather than concentrating solely on the popularity of individual actors, and he went on to explain how much encouragement international audiences give to the people working behind the scenes as well as those appearing on screen.
“And I feel that when people come to appreciate our work and give it importance, it has an impact on us. It makes us want to continue working in this industry and keep doing our very best, so that the work we produce can be as good as possible,” he added.
For Jinn, that appreciation is also a reason to continue improving, and he returned several times to how grateful he felt towards those supporting Thai productions.
“Because, for me, I believe that the more people appreciate our work, the more encouragement and motivation we have to keep working. So I want to continue doing my very best, and I also want to thank everyone on behalf of the Thai people for enjoying and supporting the Thai series. For me, it really makes me very happy.”
Sky expressed similar feelings, although he seemed especially amazed by just how far Thai television had travelled internationally, something that must feel rather extraordinary for someone who began acting as a child.
“I’m very happy, because I truly believe that, in the past, we Thai people never imagined that so many people would discover Thai people and our work in acting, especially when it comes to BL series or GL series.”
He spoke with considerable pride about the recognition Thai performers were receiving, while making it clear that he regarded the achievement as something belonging to the wider industry and its supporters.
“I feel that it’s an honour for us. It’s an honour for Thai people, and all Thai people are very, very happy.”
Sky was also grateful to the international fans who have supported Thai artists and helped introduce their work to audiences around the world.
“And as for why it’s become so popular, I think it’s because of everyone. Everyone has helped make it popular. I think the reason Thai people and Thai series have been able to become so well-known, or become so popular, is because of everyone who loves and supports us. I feel very happy and deeply touched, and I want to thank everyone very, very much on behalf of all Thai people.”
By the end of our interview, I had become rather fond of Jinn and Sky, whose kindness and humour made the conversation an absolute pleasure. Having always experienced such warmth and generosity from Thai people, I was delighted to find the same qualities in both actors, who spoke openly about their roles and seemed genuinely happy to be working together again after so many years.
I’m looking forward to seeing how their friendship translates into the romantic relationship portrayed in Ocean’s Heart, although I still couldn’t tell you which three words best describe the series. Jinn and Sky never quite managed to agree on them, but their hilarious attempts to find an answer were far more entertaining than anything they could have rehearsed.
Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler
Featured image © Amran Mohamed for View of the Arts
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Kongthup Production for kindly accommodating our interview request and arranging the opportunity to speak with Jinn and Sky in Paris during The A Festival. A special thank you also goes to Jinn and Sky for taking the time out of their busy schedules to answer our questions and share their experiences with us. It was a genuine pleasure speaking with them both.
View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.
