Raquel Welch, who died on Wednesday at 82, was one of the most iconic actresses and models of the 1960s and 1970s. She rose to fame with her roles in sci-fi classics like Fantastic Voyage (1966) and One Million Years B.C. (1966), where she showcased her stunning beauty and charisma. She also starred in comedies like Bedazzled (1967) and The Three Musketeers (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe.
Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. Her father was an aeronautical engineer from Bolivia, and her mother was an American of English ancestry. She grew up in San Diego, California, where she won several beauty contests as a teenager. She married her high school sweetheart, James Welch, at 19, and had two children with him.
Welch started her acting career by appearing in small roles on TV shows like Bewitched and The Virginian. Her big break came when she landed the role of Cora Peterson, a technician who shrinks to microscopic size along with a team of scientists to save a dying man's life, in Fantastic Voyage. The film was a box office hit and earned an Oscar for its visual effects.
Welch's next role was even more memorable: Loana, the prehistoric heroine who wears nothing but a fur bikini in One Million Years B.C. The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions, a British studio known for its horror movies. Welch's image on the poster became an instant sensation and cemented her status as a sex symbol.
Welch went on to star in many other films of different genres, such as Bandolero! (1968), Myra Breckinridge (1970), Hannie Caulder (1971), Fuzz (1972), Kansas City Bomber (1972), Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), Animal (1977) and The Wild Party (1979). She also appeared on Broadway in Woman of the Year (1981) and Victor/Victoria (1995).
Welch was married four times: to James Welch from 1959 to 1964; to producer Patrick Curtis from 1967 to 1972; to journalist André Weinfeld from 1980 to 1990; and to restaurateur Richard Palmer from 1999 to 2008. She had two children with James Welch: Damon Welch, an actor and producer; and Tahnee Welch, an actress.
Welch was admired for her beauty, talent and longevity in show business. She received many awards and honors throughout her career, such as being named one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" by Empire magazine in 1995; receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994; being honored by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals as "Woman of the Year" in 2001; being named one of Playboy magazine's "100 Sexiest Stars of the Century" in 1999; being ranked number two on Men's Health magazine's list of "Hottest Women of All Time" in 2011; being awarded the Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for Positive Portrayal of Latinos in Media in 2012; and being inducted into the National Association of Theatre Owners Hall of Fame in 2017.
Welch died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness²⁴⁶. She is survived by her two children, four grandchildren, and millions of fans around the world who will always remember her as one of Hollywood's most fantastic voyages.