An open-hearted talented actor Por Natthawut On the major life test when his wife Ae Porntip was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer, he said life and death are very close. From the shocking day he was speechless to the day he had to be strong to hold his wife's hand and support her through the ordeal, he also shared about the heavy drama and harsh comments, including curses wishing death upon them.
Recently, Por took on the role of Director Jenphop 2026 in the drama "Raeng Ngao," but there has been drama that this version is not as great as the old one, as discussed on the "Kuy Zaap Show" program on One31 channel.
The drama "Raeng Ngao" is currently very hot. From its debut, everyone was amazed and said, 'Is this really Director Jenphop?'
"I had to keep it secret for about a month. We knew about it quite early, but Benz and I didn't know who got which role. They didn't reveal the lineup. About a month ago, they told us to keep it confidential until we started filming and met Benz, which was good because we had acted together before."
Looking back 13 years ago, Por and Benz?
"Benz was the first leading lady I worked with at Channel 3. We worked well together and I liked it a lot. After that, she got married and had children, and we went our separate ways for over 10 years. She didn't act again until this project."
After the launch, many reactions surfaced. Some said Director Jenphop isn't as good as the previous version, Jes wasn't as appealing as before, and why does everyone have to compete for these two roles?
"That's okay. Let me work first. I've been in the industry for 28 years. I didn't do action roles before, but then I did and even won awards. I'm an actor, and when a good role comes along, who wouldn't take it? I believe Por Yutthakorn or Channel One didn't just cast randomly. They probably had dozens of meetings before finalizing this character."
There is another character they are investigating — who is Nok in this story?
"I know, but I can't say. Sorry. Did they forbid me? No, not really. We just don't talk about it."
Earlier, Ae was seriously ill?
"She had lung cancer and has already gone through the toughest treatment, which was surgery. The stage was A1, caused by PM2.5 pollution. Now she is undergoing her second scan after six months. The results are good — no lymph node involvement. This process will continue for five years, with the first two years being the most critical as the cancer might return. Discipline in regular check-ups is necessary."
Check-ups every six months?
"Yes, every six months, which can be stressful. Ae sometimes has trouble sleeping."
It's been almost a year since they learned about this?
"Yes, about that long."
Today, are there any special restrictions from the doctor?
"The doctor said she can live a normal life now. First, the treatment is complete. Ae doesn't need chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted drugs anymore. Everything is finished except monitoring every six months. The most important thing is that Ae must return to being a normal person. Her mental state had collapsed quite a bit. If you haven't experienced cancer in your family, you wouldn't understand how difficult it is for everyone."
How is Ae's mental state now?
"Improving. Ae has learned a lot from this. She knows she won't waste time on meaningless things anymore. She told herself to just be happy."
Ae has changed into a new person?
"Yes. We often talk that some people have it worse, some better. Having cancer means Ae faces life or death closely and that she shouldn't waste any more time. Whatever she wants to do with the rest of her life, she should do it. If she's angry at me, she must learn to forgive; if she dislikes me, she must learn to let go. We must truly change our lives. We used to quarrel a lot, like tongue and teeth, but now Ae rarely argues with me. If she does, it passes quickly, and she feels better right away. Life is much easier now."
Por, from a very tough man, is now warm, calm, and kind?
"Yes, before I lived alone and fought alone, not caring about anything but work. Today with Ae, I haven't fully let go of my ego. Ego has both good and bad sides—it drives success but also tires those around us. After this event, I understand more and slow down to let Ae come along and be happy together."
The day they found out about Ae's cancer was because Por went for a health check, not Ae?
"This is a belief. At about 1 a.m., I felt pain in my lower back for three or four nights and thought it might be kidney disease. It hurt so much I couldn't sleep. I decided to get a health check because it had been over a year, about a year and a half. I told Ae I needed to check because I was worried about my kidneys and health. The result was muscle inflammation. Ae said she was free and went to get checked too. The doctor looked worried and quietly called Ae to see a pulmonologist for about an hour. After that, Ae met a surgeon who immediately said it was cancer."
Ae took very good care of herself—clean eating and exercise. What did the doctor say caused it?
"PM2.5 pollution. I always say Ae won't die before me because she eats well, exercises, and sleeps well. But it was caused by PM2.5. When we checked, two years ago there was a small spot, about 6 millimeters, in the same place. Today it grew to 1 centimeter, which made the doctor unhappy. It had to be checked, and surgery was necessary to remove the tissue for examination."
How strong did Por have to be on the day of surgery?
"Everyone was scared, including me. Even though it was stage 1 and we had good morale, we feared lymph node involvement and the possibility of it worsening. Ae was afraid she couldn't control herself and couldn't sleep or talk about anything. I had to plan everything—insurance, surgery appointments—and the day in the operating room was the scariest. My mind kept wandering."
What was going through your mind then?
"Honestly, I couldn't think of anything. I feared death. I believed Ae wouldn't die, but I didn't want her to have cancer. I prayed it wasn't cancer. After surgery, the doctor said the tissue would be tested for half an hour and then report back. But the doctor was gone for over two hours, and I guessed it was cancer."
But the doctor hadn't told you yet. When the doctor came out?
"The doctor said it was cancer and that several lymph nodes were taken to be tested, with results expected in three days. That day was very painful and long because we had to wait for three days."
During illness, you chose not to tell anyone. On the day Ae got the results, it was the day of May Fuang Arom's birthday party. Ae seemed unusually down but told no one. Ning talked to her and she said not to tell anyone to avoid worrying people?
"I told Ae not to go to the party because she couldn't handle it mentally. Ae said she wanted to meet friends, thinking it would make her feel better, but it didn't. Meeting friends made her worse because she wanted to tell them but couldn't, which pushed her deeper down. I told Ae to take care of herself and not think about anything else."
Why didn't you tell those around you or friends? Were you waiting for confirmation first?
"Yes, we waited because surgery was in three days. My mother is 87, Ae's mother nearly 70, and everyone is elderly. We couldn't let the elders lose sleep or worry—it was a big matter. So I said I'd handle it and take Ae to surgery first, then tell everyone once it was settled. There was no complicated intention, just concern, especially for our children."
When did the children find out?
"After the surgery. We told them their mother was sick and had surgery but didn't say it was cancer because we wanted to know the stage first. At the hospital, when the children visited, we told them Ae had cancer and asked if they knew what it was. The eldest was mature enough to research."
The worst possibility was Ae might not survive, but you didn't want them to think that far. How did they respond?
"They started understanding more. When Ae came home, they were told not to be stubborn with her. I'm impressed with the new generation; they understand and cooperate well. I'm proud of our children."
After this event, you shared a clip intending to raise awareness about health checks, but some people criticized and cursed you?
"They cursed us to die, to have stage 4 cancer—both me and my wife—and I didn't know what to do. Our intention was to share via Instagram briefly, and since I have a YouTube channel, I thought it would be better to tell the story there with interviews and feelings to make it more interesting."
Your goal was to raise awareness, but some misunderstood that you were seeking likes and views?
"I'm not angry at those people, just very sad that I shouldn't have done it. Taking care of Ae who has cancer and having people curse her—it hurts. I know it's a small minority; 90% wish us well and understand us. But 10% still reach us. They like to play with attention and emotions. I don't try to explain but focus on how we'll get through this. I feel guilty and have stopped making YouTube videos because of this."
Why can't you get over this after being in the industry so long?
"I just feel guilty for making that clip which led to Ae being criticized. Facing stage 1 cancer feels like we used up our good luck. I wanted Ae to have more luck, so I made the clip to encourage others to get checked. The clip helped at least 10 people."
Some patients watched the clip, got checked, and found cancer. This is called the APT phenomenon (Ae Porntip). There's a foundation promoting lung cancer screening, but due to cost and lack of awareness, few get tested. When Ae Porntip's hospital reduced prices, it became a promotion that increased screenings and helped more patients."
You said you'd rather die than see Ae in this condition?
"I'm not exaggerating. Ae raises our children better than I do; she knows what they like and how to care for them. We once said if we had to choose, Ae should live and I'd go first, with all my money left to her, asking only to look after my 87-year-old mother. We talk openly about life and death because my father also had cancer. I probably won't survive, but Ae shouldn't because she takes good care of herself and our children. I'm very proud of her and hope she stays well. Our marriage is simple: in the end, it's just the two of us. Friends we love eventually return to their families. Now only Ae and I remain together, so we shouldn't fight anymore. If we get angry or upset, we should forgive quickly."
What lesson did you learn from Ae's illness about life and death?
"When someone you love is near death, you shouldn't waste time on toxic matters. The two of us should support each other—Ae supports me. I'm not strong; I get weak often. Actually, Ae is stronger than me. I just act otherwise because I'm an actor. But inside, I'm struggling. I don't think I could get through this without Ae."
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