Tayme Thapthimthong Was a Dancer, Soldier, Bodyguard Earlier than White Lotus (Unique)

Tayme Thapthimthong is a person of many skills!

The Thai breakout star has risen to fame after touchdown his first main on-screen performing gig enjoying Gaitok on season 3 of The White Lotus.

In a matter of months, Thapthimthong tells PEOPLE that his goals have turn into a actuality after years of questioning if he might ever make a profession out of his true ardour.

“I’ve at all times wished to be an actor,” he reveals. “I believe, I used to be 18, 19, and I used to be doing a performing dance course at Kingston College close to London. They’d a drama module in there, and that was the primary time I bought to check out drama, despite the fact that it was Shakespeare. But it surely was simply the primary time actually attending to act, and it simply felt proper. It simply felt good.”

In school, Thapthimthong says he studied varied types of dance, together with up to date, ballet, African, Indian and hip hop. He had “a section” after graduating the place he was a singer and a dancer, however says he knew performing was what he cherished most.

“It is a kind of careers the place you type of really feel like, ‘Oh my God, how many individuals actually get to try this?’” he admits. “It is a kind of goals that is like, ‘Possibly I would like a secondary dream.’ I’ve at all times additionally appreciated the army, so that is what I did earlier than performing in The White Lotus.”

Whereas in England, Thapthimthong skilled with the Royal Marines as a cadet and bought one-on-one coaching with a Particular Air Service operator on the weekends. He then moved again to Thailand, the place he turned a Lieutenant within the Thai Military.

“I used to be there for 3 years, and I got here out and labored within the personal sector for 2 years — ended up as a bodyguard, after which White Lotus occurred,” he explains.

The irony of being a real-life bodyguard earlier than enjoying the same function on TV is just not misplaced on Thapthimthong. In truth, he jokes that some scenes of the HBO hit had been tough to look at again given his background in safety.

“[There are] so many issues that, oh my God, Gaitok, come on!” he says. “Once we get skilled within the military, one of many first issues [we learn is] that you just by no means simply depart your weapon like that on the desk large open. It’s simply not one thing you do.”

“I believe he is simply so struck by Mook [Lalisa Manobal] the entire time that anytime she comes round, he is similar to, ‘Okay, I am simply going to drop all the pieces else at times simply consider her,’” he laughs.

With only a couple extra weeks till the present’s extremely anticipated finale airs, Thapthimthong couldn’t be extra grateful to be proper the place he’s.

“Possibly every week after we completed filming, I wrote an electronic mail to the chief producers and Mike White,” he remembers. “I simply wished to say, ‘I am sitting right here proper now. I am nonetheless pinching myself. Did these seven months actually occur?’ And pondering what I used to be doing earlier than, to all of the issues that [are] taking place now, I simply wished to say to them, ‘Simply thanks a lot for selecting me and giving me that chance.’”

Trying forward, Thapthimthong says he hopes to proceed on his journey as an actor. “I’ll go wherever the work is,” he notes.

“I am a fan of motion and people kind of epic movies, like Lord of the Rings sort movies,” he shares when requested what his dream function could be. “I might like to do a battle movie or a John Wick sort of movie. I might love to only show some motion on display. I really feel like I realized so much from the army. I skilled so much with weapons, and I simply need to showcase that on display.”

“I’d like to be a Thai James Bond!” he provides. “But it surely does not matter if it is weapons or swords or something, I am actually simply up for it. I really feel like I’ve much more to present.”

By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free day by day publication to remain up-to-date on the most effective of what PEOPLE has to supply​​, from celeb information to forcing human curiosity tales.

New episodes of The White Lotus season 3 air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.