DD&K Q&A: Nicotine

Who are you? I am Nicotine (not my real name, obviously).

What do you do? I model, act, read, daydream, travel, throw parties, wear latex and corsets and high heels, and go to university. Sometimes I get on stage.

How did you get to where you are today? I took a lot of wrong turns, traveled, wrecked a couple cars, did some drugs, broke some hearts, had my heart broken, drank a lot, had a nervous breakdown, dropped out of university a couple times, and still managed to come out okay. It’s all luck, really.

Who is your hero? I don’t believe in heroes, good vs evil, or any of that stuff. Good and bad are completely arbitrary and there’s a lot of gray area between the two. You want a hero, go read a book.

What colour is happiness? It seems to me that yellow is the happiest color but I don’t look good in yellow. I’m not sure if that means anything or not.

What is your ambition? Travel around the world, drive across the US, and be satisfied with myself as both a person and a model. I’m toying with the idea of someday owning a beatnik-inspired coffee shop filled with books, activism, spoken word/open mic nights, and vegan Mexican hot chocolate.

What country would you like to visit? I’m currently looking at a 2-week study abroad program in Prague, which I would love to do but I have to save up a bit, so it may or may not happen.

What are you having for dinner? Today, I had leftover peas, “chicken” nuggets (not real chicken) with ketchup, leftover mashed potatoes, a big glass of water, and a Girl Scout Cookie (Samoas are my favorite, if you’re curious).

What’s your favourite song? It really depends on my mood but I consistently come back to “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie, “The Peacock Song” by Bif Naked, and “Carol Brown (Choir of Ex-Girlfriends)” by Flight of the Conchords.

Who inspires you? Some of my friends are unbelievably kind, supportive, considerate, and all-around wonderful people. They inspire me to be a better person. My model friends inspire me to step up my game, in the work department.

Do you sleep on the left, right or middle of the bed? I’m either rolled up in the duvet against the wall or spread out in the middle. I’ll steal the covers every time.

What posters did you have on your wall as a teenager? I had a big poster of Ville Valo on my bedroom door, plus several smaller ones of David Bowie, Brian Molko, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Davey Havok, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Manson, The Darkness… lots of very beautiful, very girly men.

Who should be banished from the planet? Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and religious fundamentalists of all kinds.

What was the last thing you bought? I bought a book called “1000 Places to See Before You Die”, which I’d been meaning to get for years.

Where are the answers? No one can tell you the answers. The answers are not written anywhere. One has to draw one’s own conclusions based on one’s own life and experiences.

How much money is in your wallet right now? Excluding what I made at my shoot this week, I’ve got $4.12 US.

Which film do you quote from the most? I’m more inclined to quote stand-up comedy quips from Eddie Izzard, Louis CK, Russell Peters, etc. They’re on DVD, so I think that counts. I quote a lot of Tom Waits, too.

What are you really good at doing? Putting off til tomorrow what should have been done yesterday. I’m a pretty good cook.

How can we make the world a better place? One of my friends always used to say that the world would be a much better place if every world leader just had a blowjob, a cookie, and a nap. In addition to that, I’d like to add: avoid using animal products, recycle, treat others with kindness and respect, use only what you need to survive, and stop being selfish.

Coke or Pepsi? I grew up in Eastern Europe and if we got soda at all, it was Coke, so I kind of grew up on that. I don’t think I ever had Pepsi til I was well into my teens. I don’t drink soda that frequently but I don’t really have a preference, either way.

I produced an event in Washington, DC for two years called Capitol Punishment. I currently have another event in production called DC Fetish Ball (website coming soon). I’m also currently filming a series of advertisements for Fangoria Entertainment.