From a commercial kid to an 800 million baht movie actor! Denis Jelesha reveals the truth behind the life of an actor that isn’t as glamorous as one might think. He faces challenges and pressures, shares his experience of losing weight the wrong way, learns to sustainably care for his physical and mental health, and shares a new mindset that makes him love himself more. He also reveals the impact of comments on social media, and how despite having to work hard, he’s still happy and proud of the path he’s chosen, on the Prime Cast program.
How is life these days? What are you doing?
Denis: I’m mostly studying these days because I’m in my second year at Rangsit University. I’m also working because I have “P.Thee Yod 3.”
Is it difficult to divide your time between studying and working?
Denis: At first, it was a little bit difficult. We might not have adjusted to university yet. But when we met good friends and good teachers, they helped us a lot.
How old were you when you entered the industry? How was it like filming Tee Yod?
Denise: Actually, my first job was in a commercial. I was around 10 years old. I was a commercial kid before that. Then I joined Channel 3 when I was around 14. I played in Tee Yod when I was around 15-16 years old.
You acted in your first ghost movie when you were 15. Were you scared?
Denis: Actually, I’m not someone who’s basically afraid of ghosts or the dark, because my mom was very afraid. So I wasn’t afraid either. We already knew that Channel 3 was making dramas, right? But I never knew that Channel 3 was making movies. Then, out of nowhere, they told me that the channel was making a movie, so I asked to audition. I was so excited, the most excited I’ve ever been because I wanted to act in a movie. It was my dream. I told myself, “I have to get this role, I have to get it.” Because the opportunity had come, I had to grab it, even though I was filming a drama for seven days at the time, and I didn’t have a specific movie schedule. But I wanted to go audition first. When I got it, I was so happy.
I’m very lucky to know what I want. I’ve had this passion since I was a child. Did you put any pressure on yourself back then?
Denise: Yes, it’s really stressful. It’s like it’s our only goal, the only career we feel we want to pursue. It seems so big, so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Especially during the first few days of filming, it was really difficult because we had acted in dramas before, and it wasn’t the same. We had to put in a lot of effort because it was also our dream. Personally, I feel like it’s good pressure. I feel like when we put pressure on ourselves, we do things well, and we look determined. But it’s not every story, just sometimes when it comes to acting.
Is Nadech putting more pressure on us, or is he helping us?
Denise: It’s because other people might be so excited to meet P’Barry or something, but since I don’t watch much drama, I just feel more considerate of him because he’s been working for so long. I’m worried that if I can’t act, he’ll waste my time. I can’t do it. But P’Barry is really nice, and he’s helped me a lot. There was one scene I couldn’t do, and he came up to me and said, “Denise, this is what it’s like, tell me.” I felt more comfortable working with him.
So what is this farting behavioral problem?
Denis: (laughs) Well, everyone already knows that Barry loves to fart. The first day we went to film at the drop, he just walked over quietly and then after a while he was like, “Hey! What’s going on?” We were all confused and then, “Poof!” He came along. After that, it was like, “Oh, he’s that kind of guy.”
Has working since childhood taught you to be more disciplined?
Denis: A lot. Because we often get told by adults that good actors must be punctual. Don’t make others wait. We must go before them. We always hear this. It makes us feel very guilty if we’re late. We become disciplined and very punctual.
And what other things did he put pressure on us when we were kids?
Denis: It’s probably partly about taking care of yourself. He’ll tell you to lose weight. It’s something many people have probably experienced. Acne breakouts, you have to get it treated, and so on. And then there’s acting. Actually, there are many things that make us become dedicated to everything.
How do you take care of yourself?
Denis: Actually, when I was a child, I didn’t know what to do. Because when I grew up, my family never talked about these things. They never said that I was fat, that I wasn’t good, that I wasn’t beautiful. When I entered a new society, it was like culture shock. I was shocked for a while, wondering what happened next. What should I do to lose weight? That day was a fitting for a movie. They said, “You’re a bit fat. Lose 5 kilos for me.” It was like when I was young, I had a lot of acne and other things. It was also hormonal. They were like, “How can I get rid of my acne? Should I wash my face properly?” It was something I’d never heard anyone say to me like that before. I was shocked. I went home and cried like crazy. After that, I looked for ways to lose weight and be beautiful. I started comparing myself to other people. So I started taking care of myself in an inappropriate way.
When someone mentions this, do you think about it? Is this still the case today?
Denis: There must be people who like us and people who don’t. There must be people who praise us and people who say that we’re not good enough. It’s normal, but when I was a kid, I didn’t understand that.
Have you ever lost weight the wrong way?
Denis: Yes, I’ve tried many things. Fasting, not eating rice, eating as little as possible, eating 2-3 bites and then I’m full. Or during that time, there were low-carb diets that were popular, like keto, cutting out carbs completely. I’ve tried them all. At that time, I went from 55-56 kg to about 48-49 kg. I felt that that was the thinnest I’ve ever been. I got the body I wanted, but my life wasn’t healthy at all. During that time, when I went to work, the director would ask me what was wrong with me today, why I looked so devoid of energy. The character needed energy. When I started losing weight, the other actors would tell me that I looked tired and not bright at all.
What happened at the point that made us think we had to stop fasting and start eating again?
Denis: There was a point where I couldn’t control my diet enough, so I went to the gym. When I really exceeded my limits, I went to the gym and after working out for a while, I felt dizzy and threw up in the middle of the gym because my body couldn’t take it anymore. I was also in the hospital a lot because I had stomach aches. The doctor said that stress was causing a lot of stomach problems. I started to question myself, how old am I? Why do I have to do this? There might be a better way.
After that incident, I started eating more normally again. Did my weight bounce back?
Denis: Yes, at first, I bounced back a lot and then went back to my original size. It was like we hadn’t found the right method yet, we didn’t know what a good figure was. Until one day, we started listening to a lot of podcasts, listening to people talk about it, listening to examples of what other people in the industry were doing, and we realized that there really is a healthy way to live. We started adjusting, because we had to listen to ourselves a lot, to our bodies. Now we’re starting to feel that a good figure is a figure that’s healthy, not too thin. We’re adjusting it little by little. Today, if we want to eat, we eat, but tomorrow, we’ll go back to controlling it like before.
What is your mindset about taking care of your figure these days?
Denis: It’s gotten a lot better. For example, if I eat a hamburger, I start to look at what’s in it. This one has protein. If I eat meat, I get protein. Or this one has carbs. This one has good fats. I know more about what I should eat. Sometimes I overeat and don’t feel guilty because I know my body needs it. I feel much better about myself now. I’m not afraid of food anymore. I can eat like everyone else. When friends invite me out to eat, I can still enjoy it. I feel like a trainer is also an important part in helping me know how to take care of myself, both in terms of exercising and eating. They tell me about it and I gain knowledge from them. Now I feel that taking care of my health is enough. I don’t have a goal to have a body like this person. I just want to be consistent and do it every day. If I can exercise this week, I will do it consistently. I don’t have to exercise every day. It’s up to me to be happy.
How do you take care of your skin?
Denis: In the past, as I said, I had a lot of acne. Then, I learned about going to a clinic from several people. That’s how I found out that there are things that can help me, besides just applying skincare products. Back then, no matter how expensive the body lotion was, 2,000-3,000 baht, my face wouldn’t get any better. Until I had to find a doctor who really knew what was wrong with me. Seeing a specialist is always a good thing. I learned the truth. It got better because I was also taking medication to help get rid of my acne and adjust my hormones. Since I’ve been acne-free, I’ve been doing the usual things: drinking lots of water, getting plenty of sleep, and using skincare products that suit me. I’ve learned a lot. There was a time when I was really into skincare.
People always say that being an actor is easy. Now, tell them, is it easy?
Denise: Everyone, I’ll tell you that when I wanted to become an actor, I thought it was beautiful, surrounded by bright lights, and I wanted to do it. When I started doing it, I had to say, “What time is it comfortable for an actor?”
Since entering the industry until now, have you encountered a lot of social media comments?
Denise: Because when we were acting before the movie, we might not have encountered many comments because we might not have been that well-known yet. But because of Tee Yod, we realized that social media influences us, affecting our mental state in a huge way. We only realized then. We had heard other people say it, but we had never encountered it ourselves. When we experienced it ourselves, we realized that people felt this way about us. It’s like when we acted in movies, people would say that our acting was bad, that it was like acting in a lakorn, that we should go back to acting, that we can’t be a leading actress, that we’re not pretty. There were so many comments that people in real life wouldn’t say to us like that. When we first saw them, we were shocked and saddened, annoyed that people thought this way about us. When we started to encounter them, we started to feel that they were toxic to us, so we chose not to read the comments at all, choosing to ignore them, not considering both the praise and the criticism. We felt okay with ourselves. We felt that this method worked for us.
Have you ever been burned out?
Denis: Well, sometimes. Actually, I’ve improved a lot. Before, I put even more pressure on myself. If I just sit down and do an interview like this, I’ll be pressured by how I should talk to you or if you’ll like me. It’s good that I’m not like that anymore. As for whether I’m burned out, there are times when I feel burned out and don’t want to do it because I’m so tired. But eventually, as soon as I fall asleep and wake up the next day, I’ll be fine. I’ll let myself cry. Now, I cry as much as I want. When I fall asleep and wake up the next day, I start over. I reset.
Do you regret your teenage years?
Denise: This is a question that people ask a lot, but I always say that I never regret my teenage years. I lived them, but I just lived them differently than everyone else. It was the life I chose, and I liked it and enjoyed it. I really acted like a normal person, going to the mall, and everything. I lived a normal life like everyone else.
Do you think I’m afraid of death?
Denis: Yes, I don’t know if I can use the word fear, but it’s like I do everything to the fullest because I’m afraid I won’t wake up tomorrow to do it. It’s like that. If I feel like I’m doing something and it’s okay, like with Simple, like going to do something risky, playing a ride that’s really scary and everyone tells me not to play because it’s dangerous, I feel like, “What if I don’t wake up tomorrow? I might not be able to play.” It’s like we use it with many things. We’ll do everything to the fullest, more than 100%, because we think we might never do it again.
