Catching up with Utt, who is now ready for the Oscars again!

Utt will be representing HBO Asia at the Oscars red carpet this 5 March.

If you have ever tuned in to MTV Asia circa 1998 to 2011, you have definitely seen Utt, one of the channel’s most popular VJs who had been around for almost 14 years, making him the longest-serving VJ to have ever worked with MTV Asia.

Utt whose real name is Greg Uttsada Panichkul, broke into the scene with his charismatic appearance and casual delivery which brought him to host regular favourite programmes like "MTV Most Wanted" and "MTV at the Movies", plus events on an international scale such as the MTV Asia Awards and the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia.

Now, he is the Head of Programming for Joox Thailand, a music streaming app, and also represents talents in his agency amongst many other things.

This weekend, however, will be a big weekend for the 44-year-old personality, for he will once again represent Asia at the 2018 Oscars red carpet to interview Hollywood elites and deliver celebrity moments that will be available on the broadcast network's social media platforms.

Before heading to the star-studded event, TheHive.Asia managed to interview Utt to ask him more about his anticipated assignment at the Oscars which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, U.S.A. this 5 March 2018.

Having done it in 2015, Utt is more than ready for this year's Oscars.

TheHive.Asia: Heya Utt. Tell us how did you prepare for this year's upcoming Oscars compared to the one you attended back in 2015?

Utt: This time around I know the motion of what I'm expected to do and also, I've been able to catch up with the movies earlier on. I've been watching movies even before the nominations, so I sort of have a head start compared to three years ago where I cramped all movies at one go. I also learned that I need to yell a lot louder to get the attention of the celebrities because once you're on the red carpet, it's crazy. So, I'm going to project louder this time to get the actors and actresses that I want to interview.

Speaking of the Oscars in 2015, any memorable experiences to share?

I think one of the memorable ones would be when John Legend and Chrissy Teigen both stopped by to talk to me which was unexpected. As some of you might know, Chrissy Teigen is half Asian and happens to be half Thai. So there, I was able to ask Chrissy about her heritage and her ethnicity being half Thai and also asked John if he could speak a little Thai. I think on the red carpet when we're able to have them talk about Asia or anything related to Asia is a special treat for the audience in Asia.

What are some of your favourites from the Best Picture list?

Out of the nine nominees, I have to say my top three movies are "Call Me by Your Name", "The Shape of Water", and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri". "Call Me by Your Name" to me is just so simple but very emotional. It shows that love comes in many different types. For "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", I was just drawn from the beginning to the end with Frances McDormand who I think was incredible. But I think my favourite one would be "The Shape of Water". It is so whimsical but I think Guillermo del Toro did an amazing job in crafting this movie to make it believable and understandable. Also Sally Hawkins who did an incredible job in playing a deaf character who has to emote so many different types of emotions without speaking.

Utt's slick tuxedo is designed by Vvon Sugunnasil who used silk fabric from Jim Thompson.

Who are you looking forward to interviewing on the red carpet then?

I definitely want to interview Meryl Streep because she is legendary and she has been nominated a lot of times. There's Oprah Winfrey too because, well, she is Oprah! Frances McDormand, Sally Hawkins, Denzel Washington – if I can get Denzel… I die -, and Gary Oldman. There are a lot of other people that I'm looking forward to interviewing.

Are there any more events that you will be attending after the Oscars? After party maybe?

No, I have nothing as international as the Oscars. After this, I'm heading back to Thailand and will continue with my full-time job there with Joox. I'm currently behind the camera for this one so I produce video content much like MTV. You see, MTV has always been in my blood because I used to VJ for them but now I have my own set of Vjs and I produce shows using my four hosts which are available on the local market in Thailand.


Catch the 90th Academy Awards 'live' and exclusively on HBO (Astro Ch 411/431) and on Astro GO on Monday, March 5, starting with the Oscars Red Carpet 'Live' from 7.30am, followed by The 90th Academy Awards 'Live' at 9am.

Both programs will encore that same night on HBO at 7pm and 8pm, respectively. One can also watch it anytime On Demand (via Astro GO).