Raquel Welch, the actress recognized as one of Hollywood’s most enduring sex symbols and movie stars of the sixties, has passed away at the age of 82.
The actress, celebrated for her remarkable beauty, embraced fame as a sex symbol through roles in movies like One Million Years B.C. and Fantastic Voyage, reshaping the archetype and emerging as one of Hollywood’s prominent leading actresses.
Per TMZ, her family members have verified the news, stating that she passed away this morning after a brief illness.
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Welch was born in Chicago, Illinois (USA) on September 5, 1940, and raised in San Diego, California. Her father hailed from Bolivia, and her cousin Lidia Gueiler Tejada served as Bolivia’s first female head of state.
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She was born Jo Raquel Tejada and later adopted her first husband’s surname to avoid being typecast in Hollywood, all while remaining proud of her Latin heritage.
“I think language is very important to your identity and if you don’t have that, sometimes I feel isolated from that part of me,” said Welch in 2015. “Yet, I still feel very, very Spanish. The essence of who I am is a Latina.”
Welch participated in beauty pageants as a teenager and later developed an interest in acting. Upon relocating to Los Angeles in the sixties to pursue her acting aspirations, she found management keen on molding her into a sex symbol.
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Following minor film roles and TV appearances, she achieved her breakthrough with the successful film Fantastic Voyage.
Her subsequent role would solidify her status: the prehistoric fantasy film One Million Years B.C.. Despite having just three lines in the film, she became its most memorable aspect, notably in the iconic deer-skin bikini.
The film’s poster became a bestseller, propelling Welch to pin-up girl stardom. It remains an enduring Hollywood image, and Emily Ratajowski paid tribute to the look.
The New York Times review hailed Welch as ‘a great breathing monument to woman,’ further elevating her stardom.
Though she is primarily linked to the bikini, Welch found a connection with her role as Loana, the cave woman.
“I liked that she had something superheroic about her,” Welch revealed to The Los Angeles Times in 2016. “I was at least not one of those compliant, little girls; I never wanted to be that.”
She continued to shine in successful films like the comedy Bedazzled and the westerns Bandolero! and 100 Rifles. Additionally, she starred in Myra Breckinridge, a controversial film that highlighted her readiness to take career risks.
Among her notable performances was in the 1973 film The Three Musketeers, where she clinched the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Welch also delved into singing and modeling. She found success in business with the Raquel Welch Wig Collection. Over the ensuing decades, she continued to take on acting roles in both films and TV.
She is commemorated as one of Hollywood’s supreme sex symbols: she was featured on Empire’s roster of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History,” while Playboy ranked her third on their “100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century” list.
While her beauty etched her into icon status and Welch adeptly utilized her striking looks, she occasionally felt constrained by her sex symbol image – as hinted by the title of her memoir, Beyond the Cleavage.
“There was a perception of ‘Oh, she’s just a sex bomb. She’s just a body. She probably can’t walk and chew gum at the same time,” she said in 2012 to Men’s Health.
While critics often gave Welch’s performances lukewarm reviews, she now garners appreciation for her comedic prowess. She is also recognized for reshaping the conventional image of a Hollywood sex symbol, distancing herself from the standard “blonde bombshell” persona.
While film producers often leveraged her sexuality for promotion, Welch retained agency over her own image. As reported by the New York Times, she, for instance, declined to partake in nude scenes.
“I certainly used my body and sex appeal in my work, but within limits,” she affirmed. “There are some things I reserve for my private life, and they’re not for sale.”
Rest in peace, iconic Raquel Welch ❤️ A true beauty and a true talent.
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