Petrichor’s Engfa & Charlotte spill on their newest Thai drama
The wait is finally over! Following the roaring success of their debut show Show Me Love, Thai beauty queens-turned-actors Engfa Waraha and Charlotte Austin finally return to us in the much anticipated GL (girl love) drama, Petrichor. This time, we get a dark and shocking thriller that will have fans falling in love with EngLot all over again.
Helmed by Sammon who is known for gritty shows like 4MINUTES and Manner of Death, Petrichor is based on the novel of the same name and follows rookie cop, Tul whose first field case is nothing but short of disaster. She ends up butting heads with Dr. Cherran of the forensics team and their opposite work ethic widens the gap between them.
Tul’s problems are far from over as she does her best to avoid the corrupt cops on her force and a new murder case seems to be reminiscent of the Raindrop Killer from 18 years ago. She begrudgingly joins hands with Dr. Cherran to take down the killer but on the way, they start getting closer to each other.
Well, TheReviewGeek had a chance to talk to the main cast of Petrichor, Engfa and Charlotte who get deep as they explore their characters with us and all the exciting ways they prepared for the roles of Tul and Cherran. In an exclusive interview with TheReviewGeek, Engfa and Charlotte also share their thoughts on their first fan meeting, career changes, the challenges that came with filming Petrichor and more.
First of all, we would like to congratulate you on your show. Petrichor just had its premiere but the love and support for it already is so wild!
Engfa: I’m really happy with the great response we’ve received. One of the things that makes me happiest is that even people who weren’t originally our fans have shown interest and given us so much praise for our roles. It makes all the hard work feel worth it.
Charlotte: Same here. I’m happy that people outside of our fanbase and the novel fans have opened their hearts to watch and follow our series. I believe that once the series airs, fans will definitely love it.
Fans believe you guys are the perfect cast for TulRan! Are you guys satisfied with your portrayal?
Both: We’re really happy because at first, there were some critics who thought we might not be suited for these roles or the series. But after we did our workshops, worked hard on understanding our characters, and learned about being a police officer and forensic doctor, as well as further acting training, we were able to do it. We want our fans to keep watching—we gave it our all as actors, and we’re sure we won’t disappoint our fans and the novel’s readers.
Is there anything new you learned from the experience?
Both: To portray the roles as realistically as possible, we had to learn the actual work of our characters. For example, we watched a real autopsy, which taught us how to ‘let go.’ At first, we were really scared, our hearts were racing, but once we did it, we felt more at ease with ourselves. We also applied what we learned to our daily lives. I believe that viewers of our series will take something valuable away from it as well.
Petrichor just may be one of the most ambitious Thai GL dramas. And it is based on a popular book. Did you find it challenging or scary to take on such a project?
Charlotte: Actually, I’ve been challenging myself with both professions—from playing a police officer to a doctor. We had to portray both characters professionally because they have been in these careers for 10 years. We had about 3 months of workshops to ensure we could bring these roles to life in a realistic way, making the audience believe that we truly are in these professions. This involved everything from dialogue and acting to physical gestures and expressions.
You guys already have such successful careers in pageantry. When did you realize you wanted to get into acting?
Engfa: Becoming an actress has been one of my dreams since childhood, as I grew up watching TV and always thought that one day I could do it. I wanted to give myself the opportunity to try, as I’ve challenged myself in many areas—whether it’s singing or pageantry.
Now, I also wanted to challenge myself in acting and have a tangible achievement to show for it. This year, I feel complete because I’ve received awards and great opportunities. I can say that, in terms of acting, I feel complete.
You guys just had your first fan meeting together and it was a huge success! How was that experience?
Both: At first, we were really worried. We weren’t sure if we had lost any fans along the way. But what we saw that day was that we actually gained more fans, and our family remained as big as ever. It felt like being surrounded by a home that constantly supports and welcomes us. There was so much happiness around us. We want to thank every single fan who has always been here with us.
Well, we are super excited for Petrichor! Any last words for fans who have been waiting for you?
Both: Please make sure to follow the iQIYI Original ‘Petrichor’. This series isn’t just focused on being a GL, but has a variety of genres, including investigation, family relationships, and sibling dynamics. I believe fans will definitely take away different insights after watching. You can watch it on One31 or stream the UNCUT version on the iQIYI app and the iQ.com website. Thank you!
Watch Engfa and Charlotte in the ongoing Thai drama Petrichor on iQIYI.