She was the essence of style, sex appeal, and Hollywood glamour. Actress Raquel Welch died Wednesday, after a brief illness, at the age of 82.
Born in Chicago to a Bolivian-born father and English-American mother, Welch began performing at age seven after the family moved to California. By 19, she was on television, reporting the weather at a local TV station.
Her big Hollywood break came in 1966 with the sci-fi thriller “Fantastic Voyage.” But what guaranteed her fame was the film “One Million Years B.C.” forever captured in a classic poster.
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Never a darling of the critics, Welch finally found acclaim in 1975, winning a Golden Globe for her role in “The Three Musketeers.” Which is not to say that Raquel Welch was strictly serious, as when she appeared, as herself, in a classic episode of “Seinfeld.”
In 1998 Playboy Magazine named Raquel Welch the third sexiest female star of the 20th century, along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield.
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Welch was married and divorced four times, and last appeared in a movie at the age of 77, her legacy long established … a legacy that included her staunch refusal to do nude scenes in any of the more than 30 films and 50 TV shows she appeared in, during her half-century career.
“Style,” she once said, “has to have substance.” And Raquel Welch had both.
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Story produced by Jon Carras. Editor: Ed Givnish.
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