Rain Spencer Takes A Walk Around New York's the Jackie Onassis Reservoir

Rain was photographed and interviewed by Alison Engstrom; hair by Marc Mena at Exclusive Artists; makeup by Marie-Josée Leduc at Exclusive Artists.

Thank you so much for taking a A Walk in New York! This series is an ode to new york and explores An iconic neighBorhood anD we ventured to the Jackie O’ Reservoir. Had you ever been there before? It’s one of my favorite places. 

My grandmother took me to the city once before when I was 15, but we didn’t get to Central Park, because it was winter. It was really beautiful, I didn’t realize how big it was and I thought it was really funny you have to walk a certain way or people get mad at you (laughs). I’m glad you guys told me that so I didn’t go the wrong way. New Yorkers are bold. The only other time I have come to New York was for Netflix callbacks in 2019 and I was only there for two days. This was the longest I had been in New York and it was truly a work trip, every day there was something. I had more fun in one week in New York than in the last few years in LA, of course there was a pandemic.

Did you have any time to discover any cool places?  

I went to The Box, but it was a lot of photoshoots and premieres. I had a great dinner at ABCV.

You were here on exciting terms because of your newest project ‘Good Girl Jane’, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It won the Founders’ Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and you won ​​ best performance in the U.S. narrative competition, that’s amazing congratulations! Have you been able to wrap your head around all the excitement? 

I am still coming down. When I first read that we won, I had to reread it five times to comprehend what it said. I got off the plane and Sara (Elizabeth Mintz, the writer, and director) and Lauren (Pratt, the producer)  had been trying to call me—it was the longest 30 minutes of my life trying to get off that plane (laughs). The story is very personal to Sara since it’s inspired by her real story. She had been working on the film for seven years and I had been working on it for three years. We just put so much of ourselves, our vulnerability, and passion into it, so there were a lot of tears. There was also a lot of feeling raw, when I was watching it at the premiere, I felt like there was a huge spotlight on me, and I felt so vulnerable but that’s the whole point of the movie. It’s truth and honesty; it’s gritty and it’s raw. 

You have had an exciting summer with this film and also ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, which is a runaway hit on Amazon. Let’s first chat about ‘Good Girl Jane’.

I was reading how writer and director Sarah Elizabeth Mintz she said she was looking for ‘lightning in a bottle’ and when you walked in and ‘It was really immediate’ for her. The film is a coming of age story about feeling lonely, fitting in, falling into the wrong crowd, and other feelings that many high schoolers feel. What was your immediate reaction when you read the script and met Sara? 

I read a lot of scripts for auditions and it’s pretty rare that I read something that really sticks to me and rings true. After I read Good Girl Jane, I said, I need to be part of this. It’s the only time I ever felt like that in an audition. I would have been really sad if I wasn’t part of it in some way, shape, or form. Like you said, it is a film about loneliness, isolation, addiction, but it’s really about looking for love. Jane’s mom doesn’t emotionally validate her; she pushes her under the rug. Jane doesn’t feel seen or heard anywhere in her life. When she finds her primary drug dealer, Jamie, she’s not looking for trouble, she’s looking for love and that’s what rang true for me. Sara and I talk about it a lot, this film is made to find the Janes of the world—there are a lot of Janes. It’s also about maybe parents trying to understand their kids more. 

That’s a very interesting point, so often parents are dealing with their own pain and issues, that they cannot help their kids because they cannot help themselves. 

It’s about breaking the cycle. It happens with a lot of alcoholic families–alcoholism is a serious disease. Everyone in that family is affected and until someone breaks the cycle it goes on forever. I have a friend who was an addict and got sober; she broke a generational curse by getting sober and when she has kids–and maybe even if they are addicts– it will be easier for the kids to get sober. Addiction still isn’t understood and this movie is the why.  Jane is an introvert and it invites you into her world. She doesn’t have super obvious external causes, she isn’t being beaten at home, but her experiences are no less valid and this film brings this to life.

Could you relate at all to jane’s experience? 

Definitely; I knew a lot of kids like that, and it helped me understand them better. I related to the parts of Jane that we talked about like being lonely but she also isolates. In high school, I was an isolator, I didn’t know how to make connections with people–it was me versus everyone else. I didn’t know how to make friends, and it was hard for me. I think that is a lot of Jane’s struggle so when she gets this window of opportunity, even though it’s with the druggies, she takes it. It’s a lifeline. 

My high school experience was very relatable to a lot of that, it’s such a hard and confusing time. 

Especially if you are not being emotionally validated at home and your entire existence is being pushed under the rug. Plus, you idolize a dad who is not showing up and there is this fear of abandonment that comes up later. This gets probably deeper into psychology but Jane is trying to relive her experience with her father through Jamie. It’s like, this time he is going to pick me; this time I am going to get love.

Next to talk about the series, ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, based off the best-selling trilogy by Jenny Han. Congratulations on landing the role as Taylor! It’s a series that definitely captures a moment in time of that so many of us experience first love and heartbreak. Were you familiar with the series before getting the part? 

I wasn’t but I had a lot of friends who read them growing up and they loved them. 

It has such a fan base, Jenny Han is brilliant in capturing the feelings and telling stories of growing up. What has been the reaction from fans? 

I have gotten such positive reinforcement from fans. I was initially nervous because Taylor is someone who really isn’t liked in the book. I have gotten a lot of messages that I am so grateful for that have said, we love Taylor in the series, way more than the book. That was my goal, I didn’t want Taylor to be the bad guy but even when she is at times, you have to understand her pain and why she is doing what she is doing. She says what is on her mind before she thinks about it and that can be dangerous; she is pretty impulsive. She wants nothing for the best for Belly, even though Belly is getting a lot more attention than she used to, Taylor just wants to feel needed by her. She doesn’t want to lose a best friend.

When I read the books for the first time, my 13 to 16-year-old self was screaming. I was like, oh my gosh, Conrad! It brought out that guilty pleasure because life isn’t like that, it’s not this Disney movie, so to escape into that, as if life was like that, was fun. I love Lola (Tung) so much, when someone asks her what team she is on, she always says, team Belly. I want whatever Belly wants. I think the story is about Belly coming into herself and starting to love herself for the first time, instead of seeking that validation. She is trying to figure out what she wants and that’s what is so attractive to the outside world. 

What are you most proud of about the series?

The series was filmed in Wilmington, NC and I lived there from the ages of 2 to 8–my grandparents and my cousins are there. It’s really been cool to come full circle. 

Before I let you go, I’d love to learn what about performing called to you?

I was living in Wilmington, North Carolina and when I was five years old, I started doing community theater, they had a great program over there. After I did my first play, it was all I wanted to do. Even though I was five, I was hurt every time I didn’t get the lead role. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting bigger parts (laughs). Then when I turned eight, I told my mom that I wanted an agent. She asked me how I even knew what that was. She knew that she wanted to raise me until I was eight around grandparents and then when I got old enough she wanted to live in a city, so we moved to LA. It worked out perfectly for me because I wanted to act, so I got an agent pretty immediately. I started getting into acting classes and I got headshots. You hear a lot of stories about moms who want their child to act, but that’s not this story at all. I am so grateful my mom drove me all around the city for auditions, she showed up for me because I wanted to do it. But that’s not everyone’s story either, where they are supportive of their kid acting. I love her for supporting me in that way. 

It can be a challenging field especially at a young age with the instability and rejection.

I didn’t know if it was going to work or if it wasn’t going to work, but I didn’t want to do anything else. 

I love that conviction, at eight years old you had it. I believe it can really take you places.

It’s still true today and to bring it around again full circle, I wasn’t someone who easily made connections, even as a kid. I found solace and community through acting. I was able to fully use my voice in another role. It was therapeutic for me from the beginning. I have done inner work on myself, I can use my voice, and I can make connections easily, but my passion for acting hasn't gone away. 

It’s so great to find your pocket especially at times when you feel lost.

I felt really safe when I was acting. 

I always like to ask this question, but if you could manifest your dream career what would that look like for you? 

I am all for manifesting, but the way I manifest is a little bit different. I know generally that I want to do this, I want to be successful, I want to work behind the camera, and eventually direct. I am not fortunate enough to have the power to know what that exactly will look like. A mantra that I like saying is, what is meant for me, it won’t miss me. I show up for opportunities, if I am in a room of people, I don’t give my power away anymore and I think, I am a ten and everyone else is a ten, as well. We are all equal, we are all human, and that allows me to not pass up any opportunities. 

That’s powerful. What’s next for you? 

I am filming for five months this summer, season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty. I’ll get auditions later this summer because I won’t be available until after I am done filming. I’m super excited because I am entering into the fashion world and talking to different brands and building relationships that way. I am excited to enter that world and also to model. 

Follow rain spencer on instagram

stream ‘the summer i turned pretty’ now on amazon Prime

to learn more about ‘good girl jane’ and screening times click here

A special thank you to Amazon and Imprint PR.