i wanna talk about

⚡️ chemistry ⚡️
In ~Another Life~, I was a theatre major on the playwriting track, and I wrote some plays that I cast actors for. I have been, to a very small degree, Behind the Casting Table. That was my first practical experience with measuring chemistry between actors.

(pictured: not me)
Chemistry is, I think, easier to spot when it's not there. A show/movie/etc. has told you, the watcher, "These two are best friends," or, "These two are deeply in love". Based on generally recognizable relationship dynamics, you know what you should be seeing, but it isn't there.
Chemistry is my favorite element of acting because it's one of the few things that no one can force just because capitalism needs it to exist. If actors don't have chemistry, you can either muddle through without it or do exercises to build it, but ultimately: it's untamed (🥁).
Once, I had three actors audition for two best friends. Two of the actors were already friends and auditioned together. The third actor was stronger overall, but after he auditioned with the other two separately, we ended up casting the friends because they had better chemistry.
Take WinTeam. The characters are canonically supposed to be both browner and more muscular than the actors cast as them, but chemistry wound up as the deciding factor there. Boun was a good Win, and Prem had good chemistry with Boun as Team.

Thus, we got our current icons:
Strong chemistry is a big part of why I like the Thai BL system of pairing actors who play well off each other and then casting them in multiple series.

Boun and Prem are still developing as actors, so it's fantastic that they're playing a variety of character dynamics together.
It helps that they're genuinely close offscreen as well. They've known each other for a little over two years now, and they spent the early lockdown stages of the pandemic in separate homes gaming together for up to six hours a day, so they've established a strong rapport.
When actors have a high level of affection for and physical comfort with each other, it's easier for them to access the willingness to add extra nuances while playing their characters. Like Prem using /both/ hands to pull Boun down, or Boun stroking Prem's hair after ruffling it.
Consider the 7-11 scene.

Most actors could do it well, I think. What makes it iconic aren't the lines, but the unspoken nuances. A lot of those fall to Prem, who has to balance Team's flustered annoyance alongside his genuine attraction to Win with little looks like this:
There's also this small moment: after Boun says his line, he peeks at Prem's face, so it's like Win is breaking his suave facade for just a second because he wants to see how Team reacted to him being all cool and charismatic. It makes his character more realistic and engaging.
Krist and Singto, meanwhile, have known each other for nearly a decade, and they're phenomenally close as well. They spent years organically developing KongArt into a realistic and believable onscreen couple, and the few other projects they've done together are equally charming.
One of my personal favorite examples of their Good Chemistry is the last kiss in SOTUS S, where Krist and Singto individually decided to add a casual peck after The Kiss. Because they trust each other enough to experiment on the fly like that, we get a sweet, authentic kiss.
A two-year strong couple as physically affectionate as KongArt would in fact, y'know, enjoy kissing each other and touching each other. Notice Singto's hand on Krist's neck isn't really urging anything. It's just hanging out there. And his thumb is just resting on Krist's hair.
The opening scene of Our Skyy is a master class in what good chemistry looks like. KongArt have been dating for four years at this point and it's 6am. Arthit wakes up first, removes his arm from Kong, wakes Kong, and then Kong's first goal is to get Arthit's arm around him again.
And this is something crucial that Krist and Singto excel at: familiar, fond touches that many couples share just because they enjoy physical proximity to each other. Arthit massaging Kong's neck when he's tired, sleeping on his shoulder, putting an arm around him. All authentic.
Even when their characters are arguing, the energy between them is still electric, because it's clear in their expressions that they don't actually want to fight with each other, but they're both genuinely hurt. You need that bond to exist first in order for the tension to exist.
Chemistry is how you elevate a commercial about makeup from some unforgettable gimmick into a genuinely compelling story about two characters you care about and whose story you want to follow.
Give them another series as romantic partners, please, thank you. 💖
Yes this entire thread was a Trojan horse to get another BL series for KS. Let me know if it worked in the comments. <3
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