NATURALLY, WE WANT TO KNOW BEFORE WE LEAP. HOW LARGE IS THE GAP? WHAT HAPPENS IF WE FALL? WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE? RAIN SPENCER IS OKAY WITH LEAPING BEFORE THE ANSWER EVER COMES, AND FINDING IT ON THE OTHER SIDE. WE TALK ABOUT HER ROLE IN THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY AS SHE SAYS, “I HADN’T EVEN WORN A BIKINI BEFORE I PLAYED TAYLOR. I GOT TO QUESTION, ‘WHY ARE YOU AFRAID TO WEAR A BIKINI?’” AS SHE BECOMES EACH CHARACTER, SHE LIVES IN THE QUESTIONS AND OCCASIONALLY FINDS THE ANSWER A LONG WAY AFTER THE LEAP. WE CHAT ABOUT SELF-DISCOVERIES, LIKE REALISING ESCAPE ISN’T FREEDOM AND THAT SELF-WORTH NEEDS TO BE INTERNALLY SOURCED. WE FIND EVEN MORE QUESTIONS AS WE TALK ABOUT A BETTER PARADISE AND JUMP TOWARD THE SIDE OF POSSIBILITIES AND DREAMS SHE CAN’T YET SEE. YET, THERE THEY WAIT FOR HER.

Hi Rain! You recently posted on Instagram talking about the sense of freedom that you have been feeling lately. In what ways do you feel free?

I feel more authentically myself than I have ever felt. I don’t need to please people in social situations. I don’t have the level of anxiety that I grew up with anymore. I’ve worked through so many of these personal things. I used to be hypercritical of what I was doing with my hands or what I was saying. Freedom from that is one of the most amazing things.

Dress **Louis Vuitton**, socks **Falke**, earrings **Dries Criel**

Does that freedom change your acting?

Honestly, I’m still discovering that in myself now, so it’s such a good question. I think it does a little bit. I’m no longer escaping my reality. The love for [acting] has to go deeper. There has to be a real reason to connect with a storyline. It’s like, “Does something internally need healing?” A character will help me discover something in myself that I haven’t been willing to look at. My character, Taylor, in The Summer I Turned Pretty is very confident in her body and her opinion. I was nowhere near that. I hadn’t even worn a bikini before I played Taylor. I got to look at myself and question, “Why are you afraid to wear a bikini?”

Left Full look **Chanel**
Right Full look **Schiaparelli**

It’s so good to be able to question yourself. I was listening to A Better Paradise recently. Did the script make you question your reality?

Woah, that’s cool that you listened to that. I played Daisy and when I was reading the script, I thought, “I feel weird for feeling like this is so true. Do I feel like this is true?” I admitted that to myself. There’s so much humour in the script too.

left Full look **Chanel**
Right Jacket and dress **Louis Vuitton**, socks **Falke**, earrings **Dries Criel**

Something that struck me was when it mentioned the drugs people have in their lives—actual drugs, chocolate, and resentment.

The idea of resentment being a drug is so true. Do you ever have those tiny resentments that you hold on to? I saw my grandfather recently and I remembered something when I looked at him. We were visiting Miami when I was seven and I wanted to ride bikes along the beach. He said, “We will next time.” It never happened. It happened when I was seven and now I’m like, “You know what? I’m going to get mad about that again!” [Laughs]

[Laughs] For any one of the characters you played, what do you think is their “non-drug drug”?

The first thing I think of is love. You get so much dopamine from another person. My character in Good Girl Jane was addicted to drugs and love—a cute little combo. Circling back to freedom, I think the first step is recognising I’m getting dopamine from something and not letting it blindly lead me. If my self-worth comes from something I can’t control, then ultimately, I’m going to be miserable.

Left Cap and dress **Chloé**, earrings **Dries Criel**
Right Full look **Loro Piana**

On that self-worth note, I think many people struggle with finding self-worth outside of their jobs or duties, especially during downtime.

A lot of actors talk about the post-project wave where they say, “What do I do with myself?” Your adrenaline is so high when filming and you’re working twelve or sixteen-hour days. That’s been a huge lesson for me. Travelling so much makes me need to have a routine wherever I go. These are things I’m not good at and still learning. It can make you spiral.

Outside of acting, what do you find the most joy in?

When I get home from a job, I truly just want to see my friends, sit on the couch, and catch up. I also like writing, drawing, and painting just for fun. I put something on the canvas and say, “Great, I don’t like this,” but it is a release. Music is the number one thing that is necessary for me [in acting] even when I’m on set. Every character of mine has a playlist.

Left Full look **Loro Piana**
Right Full look **Chanel**

Is there any small detail that helps you click in and out of character?

One thing I learned from a director named Zach Shields is that there’s a ritual to putting on things like jewellery. When you put your necklace back on at the end of the day, it is immediately grounding. I feel so much like me in my living room sitting on a floor pillow, playing Erykah Badu with candles on and painting my nails. I’m in my zone, present, and grounded when my house is clean, and candles are lit.

Left Full look Celine by **Hedi Slimane**
Right Full look **Chanel**

I’m the same way. Let’s end on what you are most looking forward to this year.

There are so many unknowns in this job and life, so I’m excited to flow with whatever comes next. I want to keep having dreams and see if they will come to fruition and become my reality.

…

Discover the full story in our SS25 Issue - out now.

Interview by Tessa Swantek

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Oretta Corbelli

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Hair by Candice Birns at A-Frame Agency

Make-Up by Cedric Jolivet at The Wall Group

Stylist’s assistant Raia Doshi