Finding her niche with George in paradise

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Rachel Streater doesn’t look like your typical small-town girl. With her natural beauty and magnetic smile, the 35-year old Houston born and Madisonville High alum looks like she belongs on a Paris or New York runway.

She doesn’t like look she should be remodeling her great-grandfather’s old farmhouse with paint on her nose, and hand on the end of a snake’s tail – it was dead she said – and enjoying the country life that southeast Texas offer.

But that is where the Texas A&M graduate and former corporate sales rep turned film line producer turned actress turned model turned Yoga instructor chooses to be.

“For years, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer … In fact, I went to New York, and had full intentions to be one, and thought about international law. “ But then Rachel met a woman who was an international lawyer and she said, “It just looked like she had no life.”
It was then that Streater realized something – “I had been living the life I thought I was supposed to … doing what everyone else wanted me to do.” She was not happy.

So, she stepped away from the corporate world, took a “huge pay cut,” and started doing event planning. And immediately, her life began to change, and look brighter. She said, “I planned big, beautiful events and parties, and during the day, I could garden and do other things.”

It was then that she moved to Washington, D.C., and “fell into production work with tourism department, and I worked as a producer’s assistant, and did a commercial, and kept getting hired and giving more responsibility.”

“I have always loved film, modeling and acting, and just kind of fell into it, and everything just kind of happened,” Streater said. “It was just a great fit. I have a business background, and am artistic and creative.”

It was when Streater, who was experiencing a mellow, down time in her life, was living in Hawaii that she finally found her niche, and peace.

“I was going through a divorce, and I needed to find something to do, so I was hounding the film producers and film officers there consistently. I would email them, and just let them know who I was, and did that for a year,” Streater’s persistence paid off.
She said, “Finally, one day, I got a call for  a brunch meeting with a lady film recruiter. She told me she had an idea for me, a project … but I had to go in and interview and get the job.”

When Streater was told about the project, she knew it was what she wanted to do. “It was a George Clooney project with Alexander Payne. I thought that this would be cool.”

She went to the interview with her car packed with all of her belongings.

Streater smiled, “And then I got the job.” She interviewed in November and started working in January as the line producer/assistant for the George Clooney film – The Descendants.

“I was involved from the beginning stages … scouting locations, taking resumes, working with the finances, talking with the film commissioners and … I was kind of like a filter,” Streater said, explaining that a lot of things went through her. She worked with video playback and other projects as assigned, including sometimes, running lines with the actors and actresses.

She was the first one to welcome George Clooney to Hawaii. “I got to meet him at the airport and give him his lei … he gave me a kiss on the cheek. It was really weird too … it was just like us at the airport, security and some of the higher ups met us there. It was very quiet and we left in unmarked vehicles.”

Of meeting Clooney, Streater said, “I was scared to death, and not sure I could breathe … he is just as cute in person as he is on screen. He is very accessible, kind and approachable.”

In fact, “he made a point of knowing everyone’s name on set, and he was incredibly intelligent, and had a good business sense. I remember one morning I was sitting down, eating breakfast, and I about choked on my eggs as he walked by and said, ‘Good morning, Rachel.’  I didn’t even know he knew my name.”

During this time, Rachel began to find her “balance, and she felt recharged, and at peace.”

A certified wellness counselor, Rachel felt a need to come back home to Texas, to the Madisonville area. “I am not sure why, but I just felt like there was something for me to do here.”

She is writing, doing some modeling and commercial acting, and even had some small parts in The Haunting, You May Not Kiss the Bride, was an extra on Evan Almighty and John Adams, and done some Disney commercials.

“Life is beautiful … because we are given choices,” Streater said.

A person who “loves projects, working and being involved,” Streater is remodeling her great-grandfather’s farmhouse, getting back to nature, gardening and even working with a friend on writing a book.

Pausing, she said, “I found myself, I chose to love myself, and I am happy.”

And what else can be wanted out of life then just that.

Lucky young lady!!!!

"… he is just as cute in person as he is on screen. He is very accessible, kind and approachable.” In fact, “he made a point of knowing everyone’s name on set, and he was incredibly intelligent, and had a good business sense. "
 
 
 
Yes very lucky. So nice to read that. Makes you love him more  

O like the picture. I can't copy it from the website. But I like it if he holds somebody like this for a pic. I would jump for happiness

He sure left a positive impression on her.
Pretty gal, perfect height difference too.
Although still too young for him.

He looks so affectionate & caring hugging her in the photo.
More than any of his recent public "girlfriends."

True she looks like his daughter but still very nice pic together.
 
She was really brave to follow her heart and do the job she likes to do.
 
It is worth not to give up in Life

The title is really intriguing
Very well done!

Why is this just coming out now? This was suppose to be when he was making the Descendants right? Well that is not his Descendants hair style and if I'm not mistaken he didn't have it cut immediately.

But we all know I could be wrong CRS, but should be out of that niche by now anyway, right.

The key to this article is in the beginning she is college educated and she had a HUGE nest egg to change careers and pursue it. If I had the money i would run off and try to pursue my dreams too

A  large nest  with an egg  that she cleaned out and stored her money in .  Very smart girl  .  I guess she kept it in her attic  .

Interesting article. Not sure why it's coming out now. I guess she's looking for more work?

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very vera wrote:The key to this article is in the beginning she is college educated and she had a HUGE nest egg to change careers and pursue it. If I had the money i would run off and try to pursue my dreams too

Do you think she saved up a lot of money before she did the career change? MAybe she just did it? Or maybe she had good parents who supported her.

I must say the artical sounds intersting. I mean she works in Washington does something with production in toursim and she writes emails for a whole year to those "Hollywood people" and boom she works on a project with George Clooney?

She must be very lucky and or something in this story is missing

I didn't know what 'nest egg' means
I searched and now I know is money saved
I was thinking about exiting her comfy zone!  

I thought nest egg meant "comfort zone" ? So it means saving money? Wow and I thought I speak english LOL  Thanks It's me now I know too

No problem! two pigeon with a pea seed
(Beh... Sarebbe 2 piccioni con una fava... Non mi ricordo come si traduce!!!!)