Laine Rettmer, Actress
Laine Rettmer straddles both commercial acting jobs (Boardwalk Empire, Rescue Me) while pushing her boundaries with more independent, downtown theatre at places like The Kitchen and the Ontological-Hysteric Theater.

When did you first come to New York? How would you have defined your first year here?
"I started coming to New York by myself to work when I was around fifteen. But the first time I was in here, I was in eighth grade and on vacation with my mother. I bought postcards with Godzilla eating the skyscrapers and wrote 'Mmmm, skyscraper, I love you' on the back of them — a lyric from an Underworld song I was listening to on repeat at the time. I saw 'Annie Get Your Gun,' contracted the worst flu I'd had in my entire life, and was scouted by Elite Model Management. After that, I kept coming back during the summers to model or on direct bookings until I moved here for college. My first full year here was as a freshman at Tisch. It was dark, dramatic, competitive... or, maybe that was just me at eighteen."

If you could go back and tell yourself anything, what would it be?
"I wouldn't tell younger Laine anything, because she wouldn't listen to me. Or to her mom. But I would tell my little sister, however, that black jeans really do look good for almost any occasion and that the blue highlights in her hair look stellar. Also, whatever your quirks are, just go with 'em because you can't fight 'em."


Photographed by CJ Isaac