UNITED STATES: Raquel Welch, known for her modern-day action heroine scenes in Hollywood films, has died at 82. As stated by her manager, Raquel Welch passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness.
She was born in 1940 as Jo-Raquel Tejada and grew up in California, where she won teen beauty pageants. She also became a local weather forecaster later. During her stay in Dallas, Texas, Raquel Welch modelled for the Neiman Marcus clothing store and, at the same time, worked as a cocktail waitress.
She gained the spotlight in 1964 as she moved back to California and appeared in various cameos in A House Not a Home and The Greatest Showman with Elvis Presley. Two years later, she became a star, rising to prominence with her roles in the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage and the fantasy movie One Million Years B.C. Despite having only a few lines in the latter, her promotional skills in wearing a two-part deerskin bikini made her an icon.
In the 1960s, Raquel Welch had already become an international sex icon, predominantly remembered for playing a bikini-clad cavewoman in One Million Years B.C., produced in 1966. In 1974, she won a Golden Globe for her role in 1974’s The Three Musketeers.
Despite gaining sufficient attention, Raquel Welch had been extremely insecure about her body, often expressing discomfort at people sexualizing her. She said, “The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous, and most fortunate misunderstanding.”
In her five-decade career span, Raquel Welch appeared in more than 30 movies and 50 television shows. Later, she introduced her own signature line of wigs, jewelry, and skincare products, including a Mac Cosmetics makeup line.
Reese Witherspoon on Twitter expressed her condolences. “She was elegant, professional, and glamorous beyond belief; simply stunning.”
She is the mother of a son, Damon Welch, and a daughter, Latanne “Tahnee” Welch, who is also an actress.
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