Raquel Welch, an actress with a lengthy career, a sex icon on a global scale, and a recipient of a Golden Globe, has passed away. It was the year 82.
Welch “went away quietly early this morning after a short illness,” her manager Steve Sauer revealed on Wednesday. “Passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”
Sauer stated, “Her career stretched over 50 years, during which time she starred in over 30 films and made appearances in over 50 television shows and other programs. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was engaged with a highly successful line of wigs. Raquel is survived by her son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch. She will be greatly missed by everybody.”
TMZ was the first to disclose the news.
Welch made her start in the film industry in the middle of the 1960s, and she had breakthrough parts in 1966’s Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C., both of which were released in the same year.
She would go on to feature in dozens of films, one of which, The Three Musketeers, garnered her a Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture comedy or musical. She would go on to star in dozens of films.
Her filmography also includes roles in productions such as 100 Rifles, The Prince and the Pauper, Chairman of the Board, and Legally Blonde, amongst others. How to Be a Latin Lover, the film she appeared in for the last time, was released in 2017. In addition, she had a memorable performance of “I’m a Woman” with Cher in 1975 on the show The Cher Show.
After showing off her curves in the camp classic One Million Years B.C. from 1966, Welch became known as a pin-up model. After divorcing her first husband in 1964, the celebrity, who was born Jo Raquel Tejada, was a devoted single mother who used the money she made from her profession as a sex bomb to support her two children. Despite her glamorous public persona, she was a dedicated worker.
In the past, while the actress was celebrating her 70th birthday in 2010, she was quoted as saying, “I never imagined life was going to offer me anything for free.” Her book, Beyond the Cleavage, went on to become a best-seller.
Welch was born in Chicago to a Bolivian-born engineer and his American wife. “From the time I was seven years old,” she stated at the time, “I knew I wanted to be an actor.”
She went on to say, “My participation in this theatrical program was made possible by my parents. You might escape some of the sufferings that come with living in the real world. I’ve always been prone to daydreaming.”
She went on to say at the time, “I’ve had a terrific life, and it’s not finished yet!” while attributing her resiliency to the influence of her mother, Josephine.
