Sister of actress, Brenda Grate Attends the University of California Irvine. She became a vegetarian in college. Is half Brazilian and speaks fluent Brazilian Portuguese. She started acting professionally at the age of 5 and booked her very first 4 auditions. A principal spot on a television commercial for a major California amusement park, a television modeling spot for an infomercial, a starring role on a short film, and a featured spot on a network television show. When she was a freshman in 2001, she was the front center performer for the John Burroughs H. S. Powerhouse choir during the National Show Choir Cup Competition, Advanced Mixed Division Category, at Branson, Missouri, USA. The choir won the Grand Champion Award. She continued her success in all subsequent performances throughout high school. The Powerhouse choir was under the direction of Mary Rago and was choreographed by Jen Ounjian. She's a distant cousin of internationally known Brazilian pop singer and composer Roberto Carlos, aka 'Roberto Carlos Braga'. She's half Brazilian and speaks fluent Brazilian Portuguese. She and her sister Brenda Grate are both outstanding former members of the nationally acclaimed John Burroughs High School Vocal Music Association of Burbank, California. Her mother, Fatima, a native of Vitoria, ES., Brazil, was active in the Brazilian theater, TV, and radio before coming to the United States in 1983. She has managed her two actor children since each was 5 years old. Her grandmother, Marjorie Cunningham Grate, a graduate of Antioch college, worked for NAACP in Harlem in 1947 and in her 81st year continues to work for liberal causes. Rachel's father, Peter Grate, is a 1976 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and has been making his living at sea since then. He presently has a US Coast Guard Unlimited Masters Upon Oceans license with a 1st class pilot for Port Hueneme. Her grandfather, Richard Grate, was a pilot in World War II, graduated 1st in his class at Michigan State University, and worked in the space program from 1957 as project engineer. He worked on the Saturn 5 moon rocket with Werner Von Braun and others. She is a direct descendent of Jonathon Edwards, the fiery New England colonial preacher, and has ancestors that were in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, both on the winning sides.
