DUTCH MODEL TURNS ACTRESS

How do other people describe you?
I’m in the middle of applying for a US visa and asked my  friend [actor/director] Peter Vack to write me a letter of recommendation. One of the things he wrote was, “When Vera walks into a room, we become her audience,’ which I thought was an extremely flattering line. 

What made you want to act?

My dad’s an actor, so I’ve been in theatres my whole life. As  a little girl, I loved to dress up and play different characters. When I was four, I asked my mum to make me a Snow White dress, which I supposedly wore for weeks afterwards. My first role was as baby Jesus, with my pushchair serving as the manger. I called my parents Mary and Joseph. 

Is it challenging to combine modelling and acting?
In many ways it feels like the same thing. When I pose  during a photo shoot, I’m also acting. Making poses like I imagine a model would. Also, we often make a video during a shoot nowadays.  Your first movie premiered last September. Yes – it’s a short film directed by Shady el-Hamus and

written by Jonas Smulders. Filming it was a special, intense and unique week. The story unfolds at a funeral; I play the dead boy’s girlfriend. All the extras on the set were real-life friends and family members, which made for an authentic atmosphere. 

Is there a ritual you use to get into a character’s skin?

I’m in the middle of preparing myself for my first leading

role right now. It’s all set in Brooklyn, which is where I live and I’m super-involved in the entire creative process. I’m in- volved in the styling, coming up with my own costumes. It’s amazingly cool but also a bit stressful. 

Any people you dream of playing?
Eva Braun, please! I’d love to play an evil person or a charac-

ter with a lot of fight scenes.NYC can be pretty full on.