Actors - Sombat Metanee

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	Actors - Sombat Metanee

Sombat Metanee (Thai สมบัติ เมทะนี, born June 26, 1937 in Ubon Ratchathani) is a Thai actor and film director. At one time he held the Guinness World Record for most film appearances (more than 600). He continues to act today in films and in television series, making frequent appearances on talk shows and in TV commercials.

Biography

Early films

Sombat was introduced to the show business in 1960 by Namdee Witta, leader of a television performance troupe. He starred in the television series, "Hua Jai Pratana" ("Heart's Desires").

His handsome looks caught the eye of Noi Kamolwatin, a film director from the Kamolsilpa Pappayon studio. Noi cast Sombat in Roong Petch (Diamond Rainbow), which opened at the Empire Theatre in Bangkok and became a huge success. Sombat went on to star in four more Kamolsilpa Pappyon films: Skao Duen in 1962 and Singh Sang Pa, Saming Sao and Nagm-Ngon, all released in 1963.

He was then picked up by director Tawee Na Bangchang (better known as Kru Marut) to star in Tawan Lang Lued (Blood of the Sun). He also appeared in Kao Mangkorn (Nine Dragons), directed by Warun Chatrakul Na Ayutthaya.

He was cast by his old talent scout, Namdee Witta, in the action film Singh La Singh (The Lion vs The Lion), in which he co-starred with Mitr Chaibancha, who was Thailand's top leading man at the time.

Top leading man

Often performing his own stunts, he was an action star very much in the same mold as Mitr Chaibancha. And after Mitr's accidental death in 1970, Sombat became the top Thai leading man, often sharing the screen with Mitr's frequent co-star, Petchara Chaowarat, such as the 1971 musical comedy, Ai Tui (Mr. Tui), directed by Dokdin Kanyamarn.

In 1966, Sombat won a Thailand National Film Award for best actor in Suek Bang Rajan (The Battle of Bang Rajan) (a film that was remade in 2001). He received the statuette from King Bhumibol himself.

In 1973, he established Metanee Film, which lasted five years and made 23 films. Among them was the action-comedy Nuk Leng Tewada (The Holy Hoodlum) in 1975.

Other films from the 1970s include the violent prison drama, Narok Tarutao (The Hell of Tarutao), directed by Ruj Ronaphop, and the historical epic, Khun Suk (War Lord), directed by Sakka Jarujinda. He played a cowboy in The Reluctant Gunman (Mue Peun Khia), a gangster in Louie, wooed actress Aranya Namwong in Chain of Love, was the Man With a Thousand Masks and controlled robot assassins in Nak Leng Computer (Gangster Computer).

Singing career, family

Possessing a natural singing voice, he has recorded some 200 songs and released many movie soundtrack records and albums, including 1981's Sombat Kong Yow. He's also penned an autobiography, which was released in 1994.

His wife's name is Karnjana. She managed his film company. His oldest son Siricoup starred in Chatrichalerm Yukol's 1993 film Salween and is now a race-car driver.

Recent work

Though he might not be as prolific or death-defying as he was in his heyday, Sombat continues to act in feature films and television series. He's a frequent fixture on talk shows. He appears in a Thai TV commercial for a brand of DVD player, spoofing his action roles of the 1970s.

Among his recent roles is as Fai, the boistrously laughing leader of a gang of horse-riding outlaws in Wisit Sasanatieng's Thai western, Fah Talai Jone (Tears of the Black Tiger) in 2000.

In addition to Tears of the Black Tiger, he was among a cast of Thai all-stars in Chatrichalerm Yukol's The Legend of Suriyothai
. He had a small role in the 2004 comedy, Bangkok Loco.

Sombat was honored at the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a retrospective of five of his films: Blood of the Sun, The Holy Hoodlum, Narok Tarutao, War Lord and Tears of the Black Tiger.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Sombat Metanee ]

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