Thai superstar Mario Maurer brought star power and easy humor to Lincoln Center on Tuesday, greeting a packed Walter Reade Theater for the North American screening of his latest film, “4 Tigers,” at the 2026 New York Asian Film Festival.
The July 14 event paired the high-octane action film with a lively Q&A, where Maurer spoke candidly about the film’s physical demands, creative process and political themes.
Set in post-World War II Thailand, “4 Tigers” unfolds in the central plains during a violent purge, as generals hunt outlaw “tigers” after a cache of Japanese gold goes missing. Maurer plays Mahesuan, a feared bandit protected by sacred amulets said to make him invulnerable. Despite the character’s reputation, Maurer emphasized that Mahesuan is driven by grief, not pure villainy.
“Actually, he’s not the really bad, bad guy,” Maurer told the audience when asked whether Mahesuan is a hero or villain. “Other tigers are more like the really bad ones. I have a background that my dad got killed. The day he got killed, he hid me in a closet and gave me this special amulet to save my life. I saw everything that happened to him … I grow up with all the planning to revenge for my dad.”
Introductions at the screening positioned “4 Tigers” within director Kongkiat Komesiri’s expanding Khun Pan universe, while noting it also works as a standalone prequel. Maurer, who first portrayed Mahesuan in “Khun Pan 3,” said revisiting the role earlier in the timeline required a tonal shift.
“For this one, it’s like 10 years younger than ‘Khun Pan 3,’” he said. “It’s more like a younger version. The character is more playful, and he has a lot more fighting scenes and special effects.”
Maurer traced his involvement in the franchise to his long collaboration with Komesiri. “I used to work with P’Kong before – I did, I think, three films with him,” he said. “So this is the fourth one, and he told me about this project that he’s going to expand the Tiger world.”
The conversation quickly turned to the film’s stylized action, with Maurer describing the unusual timing required for its choreography, influenced in part by the kinetic style of films like “Kingsman.”
“Normally, if you get hit, you say ‘Ow’ right away,” he said. “But this one, when he hit me, I gotta wait for the camera. The camera comes to my face, then I say, ‘Ow.’ So it’s very hard.”
Fight sequences were rehearsed in sections with stunt teams who first recorded the choreography on mobile devices. “They even filmed it and showed us,” Maurer said. “But after we watch it, we cannot remember a move because it’s so long. So we practice and break it into parts.”
Even with years of action roles, the physical toll was significant. “Many times I hurt myself,” he said, noting his co-star is “a real martial art guy” while he is not. “My whole body is bruised. After the movie wrapped, I gotta lay down.”
Before filming, the cast trained with firearms used in the movie. Maurer joked he preferred guns to hand-to-hand combat because “I don’t have to move much,” though he added that his prop weapon occasionally malfunctioned.
Audience questions also explored the film’s political undertones. Maurer said the story reflects a corrupt system of power.
“The director is talking about the whole government,” he said. “The government is controlling everyone. That’s why all these Tigers are trying to stop what the government is doing. They kind of corrupt everything. The police is corrupt, too, in the movie.”
He added that the outlaw figures draw loosely from Thai folklore and real historical bandits. Mahesuan’s real-life inspiration, he noted, was “a very big, very tough guy” who looked nothing like him and did not wear the character’s signature sunglasses.
Despite his action-heavy résumé, Maurer surprised some fans by naming comedy as his favorite genre. “Actually, I like romantic comedy and also I like comedy,” he said. “Comedy is quite hard … but it’s not stress. Drama is quite … sometimes going home still getting drama.” Action, he added, remains “very challenging” because every scene requires precision and repetition.
Maurer, who rose to international fame with “The Love of Siam” and became a regional sensation with “Pee Mak,” said bringing “4 Tigers” to New York is part of a broader effort to share Thai stories globally.
“It’s a great opportunity to represent Thai cinema on a global stage,” he said. “I’m very proud to be here and share our story.”
After the Q&A, Maurer stayed well past midnight to meet fans, underscoring the warm reception for both the film and its star.
His NYAFF appearance also rekindled ties with Filipino audiences, who embraced him as a heartthrob when he starred in the Filipino-Thai romantic comedy “Suddenly It’s Magic,” shot in the Philippines in 2012 – a reminder of a career that continues to bridge cultures across Asia and beyond.
