Hollywood legend and sex symbol Raquel Welch, 82, who starred in Fantastic Voyage, dies after ‘brief illness’
- Raquel Welch has reportedly died at the age of 82 after a short illness
- Welch rose to international fame for her back-to-back roles on Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC.
- In 1995 she was named one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history
American actress and international sex symbol Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82 after a short illness, according to a report by TMZ.
Welch rose to international fame with back-to-back roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC in 1966.
She had minimal speaking time in One Million Years BC, but her deerskin bikini in the film cemented her as a sex symbol.
From then on, Welch enjoyed great success as a movie star in the 1960s and 1970s, earning a Golden Globe in 1974 for her role in The Three Musketeers.
In 1995, an issue of Empire magazine named Welch one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Motion Picture History and was ranked #3 on Playboy’s list of the 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century.
Raquel Welch was cemented as an international sex symbol with her role in One Million Years BC
Raquel Welch, who rose to international fame in the 1960s, has died at the age of 82
Welch, pictured in 2017, is survived by her two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch
Born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, Welch’s career began in her twenties.
She made her first foray into Hollywood by guest-starring on popular television shows such as Bewitched, The Virginian, and McHale’s Navy.
From there she landed her big break in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC.
She also took on roles in the mortal sin of lust opposite Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the 1967 comedy Bedazzled and played the eponymous secret agent in the spy comedy Fathom.
Welch also had roles in the 1969 western 100 Riles and played transgender titular Myra Breckenridge in the 1970s film.
In the 1970s, Welch made the television circles, appearing in Robin Williams’ comedy Mork and Mindy as his nemesis, as well as in the TV movies The Girl’s Back in Town and Right to Die, for which he received Golden Globes.
More recently, Welch has appeared on Lois & Clark, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Seinfeld, Spin City and CSI: Miami.
Welch’s first foray into Hollywood came with guest spots on popular television shows before landing her breakthrough roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC
She played the mock transgender title character Myra Breckenridge in the 1970s film
Welch was named one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Motion Picture History in 1995
Welch was married to James Welch from 1959 to 1964, Patrick Curtis from 1967 to 1972, Andre Weinfeld from 1980 to 1990, and Richard Palmer from 1999 to 2004, with whom she has two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch.