Model Rachel Mortenson’s Job Is Tougher Than You Think

The model and mother makes it look easy on Instagram.
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We spend a lot of time on Instagram (no, really—a lot of time), and when we're not living vicariously through our favorite FOMO-inducing accounts, we're checking out some particularly talented users. So when our GQ castings team finds a 'grammer worth shouting out, we think it's our duty to share him or her with you. And today we want to introduce you to model and mom Rachel Mortenson.

On a regular work day Rachel Mortenson can be found bikini-clad in front of a camera. In fact it's so regular, the model's Instagram feed looks like one long nonstop vacation. But trust us, her job is no cake walk. For example, beachy photoshoots don't always take place during the warm months and swimming pools are seldom heated. That's how Mortenson found herself in the middle of winter, so cold she could hardly breathe, floating in a pool next to a fully dressed Jon Hamm. And you know what? She nailed it. Rachel Mortenson is made of some damn tough stuff. That, and her dry sense of humor, are why you need to follow her on Instagram ASAP. But first read all about her off-duty life, her non-model passions, and where she's going next.


Where are you right now?

Sitting in my living room at home base in Austin, Tx. Home in between jobs for a quick 48 hours and debating if I can wait another week to mow the lawn.

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Where did you grow up?

I was born in Jersey, but basically raised in a very small town in Arizona called Coolidge. We got a Walmart right before I moved away. It was a big deal. I'm pretty sure there was a parade.

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If you weren’t a model, what career would you pursue?

Hmmm. What other career let's me write off my hair appointments and pays me to wear a bikini? I've always had a fantasy of being a historical fiction author. I also have a knack for inventing things in my head—and finding out they've already been invented.

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What is your mantra?

"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine"

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What makes you feel sexy?

A tan, a ponytail, 1.5 dirty martinis (more than two is less sexy based on personal history).

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Where have you never been but want to go?

Thailand!

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Do you read the comments?

Heck yes. I love them all. Someone once said my front teeth looked like two white fridges, that one really tickled me.

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What is the craziest thing you’ve done on a shoot?

I did a Rolling Stone shoot that Jon Hamm was the star of. He was lying by the edge of a pool and I was supposed to be floating right next to him. They didn't heat the pool and it was winter. It was so cold I couldn't breath every time I was submersed, so every time I came up all these loud weird noises were coming out of me like gasping and choking. It was pretty awkward and everyone was quiet and felt bad. I felt like a drowned grunting beast in front of Jon Hamm.

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How do you spend your time off?

When I'm not working it's straight home to my kiddo. Lots of cooking and baking, family time, and kid stuff. After 8pm I'm usually tucked into my sofa with whatever I'm reading that day. Now it's a sci-fi trilogy called The Twelve.

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What is your most prized possession?

Prized possession.... I guess my house, the one that currently needs the grass mowed. Does that count?

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