You might think Rebecca Patricia Armstrong is just one of the 1.7 billion Gen Z youths in the world. On Tiktok the 21-year-old cycles enthusiastically through numerous dance challenges and trending sounds, often in what appears to be an elegant, though nondescript, bedroom. Across Twitter and Instagram, she posts a stream of casual snaps of her hanging out with friends for afternoon tea, her latest look du jour, cuddling with her French bulldogs, and travelling across the world, from Seoul to São Paolo. But Becky, as she’s better known, is anything but a typical early twenty-something—she’s already one of Thailand’s fastest-rising stars, less than two years after she could legally buy herself an alcoholic beverage in the country.
After an early supporting role in the 2020 drama series TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love, Becky has landed coveted spots in well-received productions, from the series Secret Crush On You and Gap: The Series in 2022—both co-starring her frequent on-screen collaborator Sarocha Chankimha, commonly known by her nickname Freen, and with the latter show being the first girls’ love (or GL) television series to air in Thailand— to the 2023 movie Long Live Love, where she plays the teenage daughter of the character of Araya Hargate, one of Thailand’s most visible celebrities. Upcoming projects for Becky include two major ones this year alone: the historical television series The Loyal Pin and the sci-fi romance movie Uranus 2324, both co-starring Freen as well.
As one half of the massively popular FreenBecky khu jin (khu for “couple” or “pair” in Thai, and jin as derived from “imaginary”), Becky has been adhering to a packed schedule: filming on weekdays, attending fan meeting events on weekends, logging into her university’s online law classes in the small hours, and living (and sleeping) in the free pockets in between—even meeting Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin this March together with Freen and the actors “Mile” Phakphum Romsaithong and “Apo” Nattawin Wattanagitiphat to discuss promoting GL and boys’ love (or BL) productions as a driver of Thailand’s cultural exports.
There’s no secret to Becky’s popularity and the public adoration of the part-British actor, model and singer who occasionally refers to herself in the third person as “Bec Bec”: it’s all evident in her expressive gaze, disarming smile, and endearing personality. She is somebody to everybody—a sister, best friend, and idol all in one—but there’s so much more to her story.
Did you expect the massive popularity of Gap: The Series?
Honestly, no, I didn’t expect this popularity. It kind of happened overnight, but don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy journey. It wasn’t luck or anything, but it’s about putting in very, very hard work to get the series to where it got. The project almost got cancelled many times as well, because the support back then wasn’t a lot and nothing was easy. We fell down many times, but due to the fans and everyone rooting for us, we managed to pick ourselves up and grow together. And what also makes Gap: The Series really special is that it was made with lots of love and hard work.
What do you think audiences appreciate about Gap: The Series?
I think it’s the storyline and how people can relate that. In the real world, love isn’t easy. Love doesn’t just come in and boom! You skip straight to a fairytale ending. It’s hard. You have to build trust and loyalty and work through arguments. Gap: The Series is full of things people can relate to and you can follow through the story of Mon and Sam (the main characters in Gap: The Series) that they really do love each other and they fight for each other. It’s not easy. I’ve also heard people relating to the stories of Mon and Sam, and I think that’s what makes it all the more special. It creates this comfort zone for everyone where when they watch Gap: The Series, there’s a sense of being on an emotional rollercoaster: there’s crying, there’s feeling happiness, anger and frustration, but it’s also comforting for everyone as well.
People might view me as a girl who comes from a good family background and who had everything handed to her, but actually I had to work for everything myself. … There was a lot of almost giving up as well, but I’m glad I stuck with it and persevered.
When it comes to your on-screen partnership with Freen, how are you both like when the cameras are off?
Off-screen, Freen and I are good working partners. We’ve worked together for about four years and we know each other well. We don’t text or talk outside filming that much, but I guess we see each other at work every single day and we are practically with each other all day. She’s someone I grew up with and I respect and care about her a lot, and I want to see her grow and be successful. I hope she’s happy in whatever she does, and I’m thankful for the bond that we have—I don’t think it’s easy to find anywhere. If I had moved to England, we wouldn’t have met, and none of this would have happened, but I guess something in life wanted us to meet and I’m glad I have her as my sister. We still have lots of projects together, and we can’t wait to help each other with acting. We’ve had to fight through so much together, nothing was easy, but I want to say I’m proud of us.
You worked on The Loyal Pin and Uranus 2324 concurrently, while making appearances at fan events, as well as attending university online. What were the toughest moments?
Honestly, this was one of my toughest, toughest moments ever. I was excited to portray Princess Anilaphat in The Loyal Pin, but when I heard it was a period drama with lines in a formal, almost archaic style of Thai, I was like, “Oh god, will I be able to do this?” because my Thai isn’t strong yet. I was so stressed and worried, so I tried to strengthen my Thai, but it wasn’t really working. The words weren’t forming in my mouth, my memory wasn’t working right, and everything was functioning poorly. I would come home and I would literally cry myself to sleep, but I would wake up the next day to do the same thing. I tried my best but it wasn’t working so I said to myself, “Do you want to be a good actress? What do you have to do? You have to work harder. No excuses. Work harder.”
So when I got the script, I highlighted the words I didn’t know, which turned the whole thing into a lecture book, and I practised all day, all night, during dinner, while watching TV, having a shower or even washing my hands. After getting up every day but before going to set, I would recite my lines—just recite, recite and recite until I got them right. I would not sleep until I had it in my head, until I would dream about it. I was so strict with myself because it was very stressful and I didn’t want to make the team wait for me. I think after that I started to enjoy myself more because everything started getting better. I guess hard work does pay off. Now I’m going to wait to see the final piece, and let’s hope it’s OK. Maybe the Thai is still not perfect, but I think it’s one step up from last year.
You’ve always wanted to be in entertainment, even competing in Thailand’s Got Talent at 13 years old. Why are you drawn to entertainment and performance? Especially considering you describe yourself as an introvert who enjoys staying home?
I’ve always been drawn to the entertainment industry since I was a kid. My first main passion was singing, because I looked up to Connie Talbot and Taylor Swift. As for my personality, yeah I’m an introvert. I love to keep things to myself. I’m a bit of an overthinker, so music is my way to escape from everything whenever it gets so much. I like to escape through music, so sometimes I’ll put my headphones on and
just listen to music.
Someday I want to start singing or play an instrument. Music is literally part of my heart. I’ve always been drawn to the entertainment industry and I started off by auditioning for lots of talent shows but I never got very far, and then one day I got the opportunity to audition for the role of Thanya in TharnType 2 Special: The Wedding Day and that’s where everything took off. So I think if anyone has dreams or goals, don’t give up, it might not happen immediately but one day it may happen if you stick to it.
Would pursuing a music career still be on your wishlist?
I still want to pursue singing. I absolutely love singing, but I just don’t get the chance to sing as much anymore. There are also songs that I’m writing, I guess they’ll stay a secret for now. For sure, I definitely still want to pursue a music career. Acting does let me do a bit of singing, by way of soundtracks, concerts or fan-meets, but there are certain types of songs that I want to write and express, and certain types of music that I really love. Maybe one day I will put a song out, but I need to strengthen my instrumental skills, so right now I’m working on piano and guitar, and maybe drums in the future. I want to make my own music, but I still want to be an actress as well. I want to do both. If one day I have a single, I hope everyone looks forward to it.
How did your childhood influence you to become the person you are today?
My childhood featured a lot of travelling and meeting new people, [being] independent, and having to grow up fast. I travelled around the world due to my dad’s job, which I really appreciate because I got to meet so many people from different cultures and now I have lasting friends from all over the world.
People might view me as a girl who comes from a good family background and who had everything handed to her, but actually I had to work for everything myself. There were all these auditions and castings I pursued; I didn’t receive opportunities just like that. There was a lot of almost giving up as well, but I’m glad I stuck with it and persevered. There was a time when I had a big decision to make, between staying in Thailand and going to study in England, but I’m glad I chose this path. It has allowed me to meet everyone and form this lovely family.
What have been the highlights and challenges of gaining celebrity at such a young age and so quickly?
It was unexpected and amazing, really, but it happened really quickly, and the expectations came really quickly as well. Don’t get me wrong, there is so much love and I appreciate it so much, like, I see the fans’ love every single day, and it’s so sweet and I’m so grateful and thankful. But I think an obvious thing that people could see was something that every generation should talk about, and that’s cyber bullying. It’s getting bullied online with words, with actions, with threats, and to think I was only 19 or 20 and even now at 21 and having these thrown at you every single day, if I didn’t handle myself correctly, it could really harm you, because it really hurts, even though you don’t have a clue who is behind the keyboard, but it really hurts to hear something said to you and still have to pretend like you’re OK.
I have to say that this year I’m a lot stronger, I feel like I’ve been through a lot. I also can teach some people as well about it. To ignore it, it’s easier said than done. The fact is that you can ignore it but if it stays in your heart, it’s there. But there’s a saying that my dad would always say to me, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt you,” which is true. If you’re strong, don’t give attention to them. You grow above them and you become stronger. Choose to focus on the people who love you, because there are a lot of people who love you.
What is Becky in private like, compared to Becky in public? What do people not know well about you?
In private, I’m quieter than what I may seem at a day of work or at an event. I keep things to myself. I don’t really want to disturb anyone else. I want to carry everything myself, which is not a very good thing but I’m working on that. I don’t really talk to anyone either—well, I come back and there’s my mum, my dad, and my brother, Richie.
I have to say I’m very bad at answering text messages. You could have a conversation with me and I would think I’ve answered you but I actually haven’t, so if you want to talk to me, maybe call me. But I’m always finding ways to get better at everything, for example, I’ve watched Uranus 2324 for the sixth time now. I’m probably going to watch it for the seventh time, because I like to watch my crafts and I want to see what I can improve on and what I should do better, and note it down. I really love spending time with my family, my dogs, my fans, and my friends, plus I love singing.
I am very quiet if I’m not close to you, but if I am and we can break that barrier, I’ll be very loud and extroverted with you, like the type of person who will sing Taylor Swift songs in the car with you—that’s me. I’m also a very good listener. I will listen to your problems and what you have in your heart. I won’t judge you, I will give you all the best support. And I have a very soft heart, I rarely get angry or mad at anyone, and I try to smile all the time as well.
Success comes in the form of just being happy, but also having your goals set right and staying driven—the harder things are, the better success feels
Who do you look up to?
When it comes to music, I have two main role models. One is my grandfather who introduced me to music. One day he invited me to the piano and played Moon River, and I absolutely fell in love with music, and I know he follows my music as well, like, he follows my fan-meets and everything, and I know he is proud when he hears my music. The other is Taylor Swift, who fought hard to be where she is today. In the past, I’ve flown over to Singapore to watch her concert. I wish I could do that more often, but my schedule doesn’t really allow it, but I would love to support her. I love all her music. She writes from her heart. She’s so talented, and that’s someone in the music industry I want to be, because I want to write music from my heart, so then listeners can feel what I want to say and really get into the music.
trousers, slingback flats
I look up to my mum and dad too. To get to where they are today, they had to work very hard as well, and it wasn’t easy. Nothing was easy, and I think that’s where I get my hard-working mindset from. In the future, I want to be comfortable by my own efforts and not by my parents’, so I want to work hard now and play later. I think all the hard work will pay off in the end.
What do you consider reward and success?
I set many rewards for myself all the time. For example, for big goals like getting a role in certain projects, a job, or a particular award, that’s where I would reward myself, with a “Very good, Bec Bec!” For small rewards, like drinking milk tea, playing with my dogs, or talking to my family—those are small rewards that I give myself every day that say, “Well done, well done, you’re doing good.”
Success comes in the form of just being happy, but also having your goals set right and staying driven—the harder things are, the better success feels. I also really love it when fans also feel happy with all my work or when anyone around me gives me small compliments—that keeps me going too.
PHOTOGRAPHY CHEE WEI
CREATIVE DIRECTION IZWAN ABDULLAH
STYLING KELLY HSU
HAIR WIPALUK KANDA
MAKEUP HIRUN BOONKARNWANIT
PRODUCER RATCHADA TUBTIMPHET
SET DESIGNER YUKON BOONPRASART
VIDEOGRAPHER TARARIN PROMSUWAN
FASHION ASSISTANT PIPATSA SRIYANYONG
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