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Raquel Welch
Welch during an appearance for Saturday Night Live in 1976
Welch in 1976
Born
Jo Raquel Tejada

(1940-09-05)September 5, 1940
Died February 15, 2023(2023-02-15) (aged 82)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1964–2023
Spouse(s)
James Welch
(m. 1959; div. 1964)

Patrick Curtis
(m. 1967; div. 1972)

(m. 1980; div. 1990)

Richard Palmer
(m. 1999; div. 2004)
Children 2, including Tahnee Welch

Jo Raquel Welch (born Tejada; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023) was a famous American actress.

She first became well-known for her role in the movie Fantastic Voyage (1966). After this, she signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. They then loaned her to a British studio called Hammer Film Productions, where she made One Million Years B.C. (1966).

Raquel Welch starred in many other films like Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero! (1968), and 100 Rifles (1969). She also appeared in several TV variety shows.

Welch often played strong female characters. This helped her create a unique image in movies, making her a popular icon in the 1960s and 1970s. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1974 for her role in The Three Musketeers. She was also nominated for another Golden Globe for her performance in the TV film Right to Die (1987).

Early Life and Education

Raquel Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the first child of Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo and Josephine Sarah Hall. Her father, Armando Tejada, was an aeronautical engineer from La Paz, Bolivia. Her mother, Josephine Hall, was of English background. Raquel was named after her paternal grandmother. She had a younger brother, James, and a younger sister, Gayle.

Her family moved to San Diego, California, when she was two years old. From a young age, Raquel wanted to be a performer. She started studying ballet at age seven. However, she stopped at seventeen because her teacher said she did not have the right body for professional ballet.

Early Achievements

At 14, she won beauty titles like Miss Photogenic. While attending La Jolla High School, she won Miss La Jolla and Miss San Diego. This led to her winning the state title of Maid of California. She graduated from high school with honors in 1958.

Seeking an acting career, Welch attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. The next year, she married her high school sweetheart, James Welch. She got roles in local theater plays. In 1959, she played the main character in The Ramona Pageant, a yearly outdoor play in Hemet, California.

Welch also worked as a weather presenter at KFMB, a local San Diego TV station. After separating from James Welch, she moved to Dallas with her two children. There, she worked as a model and a cocktail waitress.

Career Highlights

Becoming a Star: 1964–1966

Raquel Welch moved back to Los Angeles in 1963 to find acting roles. She met Patrick Curtis, who became her manager. He suggested she use her husband's last name, Welch.

She had small roles in films like A House Is Not a Home (1964) and Roustabout (1964), which starred Elvis Presley. She also appeared in TV shows such as Bewitched and McHale's Navy.

Her first main role was in the film A Swingin' Summer (1965). That same year, her photo in Life magazine created a lot of excitement. She was noticed by 20th Century Fox and signed a contract. Studio executives wanted to change her name to "Debbie," thinking "Raquel" was too hard to say. She refused and kept her real name, Raquel Welch.

Breakthrough Films

She got a leading role in the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage (1966). In this movie, she played a member of a medical team that shrinks down and goes inside a diplomat's body to save his life. The film was very successful and made her a star.

Fox Studio then loaned Welch to Hammer Studios in Britain. There, she starred in One Million Years B.C. (1966). Her only costume in the film was a two-piece deer skin bikini. This "fur bikini" became a famous look of the 1960s. The New York Times praised her in its review, calling her "a marvelous breathing monument to womankind." Even though she had only a few lines, her look in the bikini made her a dream girl for many moviegoers.

In 1966, Welch also starred in the Italian film Shoot Loud, Louder... I Don't Understand. She was the only American in the film The Oldest Profession (1967). She also appeared in The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) with Edward G. Robinson.

International Stardom: 1967–1979

Her first main movie role was in the British spy film Fathom (1967). Welch described her role as "a blown up Barbie doll".

She appeared in the comedy Bedazzled (1967) and the Western Bandolero! (1968), starring with James Stewart and Dean Martin. In 1968, Welch also appeared with Frank Sinatra in Lady in Cement.

Welch starred as a freedom fighter in 100 Rifles (1969), a Western filmed in Spain. She presented at the Academy Awards several times in the 1970s because of her popularity.

Television Specials and Key Roles

On April 26, 1970, CBS released her TV special Raquel!, which was very popular. In 1971, she acted in Hannie Caulder, another Western.

In 1972, Welch starred in Kansas City Bomber, playing a roller-derby star. The film's production stopped for six weeks after she broke her wrist doing her own stunts. She also had a small role in Bluebeard with Richard Burton. Welch said the roller derby world in Kansas City Bomber was a good way to show how women felt about their lives at that time.

In 1973, she acted in The Last of Sheila and The Three Musketeers, for which she won a Golden Globe. She continued her role in the sequel, The Four Musketeers (1974).

In 1977, Welch acted in Animal and The Prince and the Pauper. In 1978, she appeared on The Muppet Show. In 1979, she was a guest star on Mork & Mindy.

Later Career: 1980–2023

In 1981, Raquel Welch starred on Broadway in Woman of the Year, receiving praise for her performance.

Legal Dispute and Impact

In 1982, she was set to star in the film Cannery Row. However, she was removed from the project by the producers. The studio claimed she was not meeting her contract, but Welch believed she was unfairly blamed for the film's problems. She took legal action against MGM. The jury agreed with Welch, and she won a large amount of money in 1986.

Even though she won, Welch said she wished the event had never happened. She wanted to clear her name and get back to making movies. However, this incident made it harder for her to get big film roles after that.

Television and Stage Roles

In 1987, she starred in the TV drama Right to Die, playing a woman with Lou Gehrig's disease. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. That year, she also released a dance song called "This Girl's Back In Town."

She appeared in other TV films like Scandal in a Small Town (1988) and Trouble in Paradise (1989). In 1995, she was in the TV show Central Park West. She also played Sabrina's Aunt Vesta on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996).

Raquel Welch 1979 cropped 2
Welch at the premiere of Bette Midler's movie, The Rose, 1979

In 1997, Welch returned to Broadway in Victor/Victoria. That same year, she appeared as herself in an episode of the comedy series Seinfeld, playing a very dramatic version of herself.

In the 2000s, she had supporting roles in films like Legally Blonde (2001) and Tortilla Soup (2001). She also starred in the PBS series American Family (2002). Her last film was How to Be a Latin Lover (2017), and she appeared in the sitcom Date My Dad (2017).

Singing Career

For many years, Raquel Welch performed a successful one-woman musical show in Las Vegas.

Achievements and Awards

In 1974, Raquel Welch won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for The Three Musketeers. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the TV drama Right to Die (1987).

In 1994, Welch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2001, she was given the Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting positive images of Americans of Latin heritage. In 2012, the Film Society of Lincoln Center held a special event to celebrate her films.

Business Ventures

Raquel Welch released The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program book and videos in 1984. The book included a hatha yoga fitness program, her ideas on healthy living, and beauty tips.

As a businesswoman, Welch was very successful with her own line of wigs called HAIRuWEAR. She also started jewelry and skincare lines. In 2007, she became the face of MAC Cosmetics Beauty Icon series, which featured makeup inspired by her "strong and wild, yet sultry and exotic" image.

Personal Life

RaquelWelchApr2010
Welch in 2010

Raquel Welch married her high school sweetheart, James Welch, on May 8, 1959. They had two children, Damon and Tahnee. They separated in 1962 and divorced in 1964, but she kept the last name Welch.

She later married producer Patrick Curtis in 1967 and divorced him in 1972. In 1980, she married producer André Weinfeld, divorcing him in 1990. Her fourth marriage was to Richard Palmer in 1999, but they separated in 2003 and later divorced. Welch stated that she would not marry again.

Political Views

In 2014, Raquel Welch described herself as being on the conservative side of politics. She said this was because of her mother's values from the Midwest. During the Vietnam War, Welch supported the troops by performing at United Service Organizations (USO) shows.

Death

Raquel Welch passed away on February 15, 2023, at her home in Los Angeles, after a short illness.

Filmography

Film


Year Title Role Notes
1964 A House Is Not a Home
1964 Roustabout College Girl Uncredited
1965 A Swingin' Summer Jeri
1965 Do Not Disturb Woman in Lobby Uncredited
1966 Fantastic Voyage Cora Peterson First film under contract to 20th Century Fox
1966 Shoot Loud, Louder... I Don't Understand Tania Montini Made in Italy for Joseph E. Levine
1966 *** Quartet Elena Segment: "Fata Elena"
Also known as The Queens
1966 One Million Years B.C. Loana
1967 The Oldest Profession Nini Segment: "The Gay Nineties"
1967 Fathom Fathom Harvill
1967 Bedazzled Lilian
1968 The Biggest Bundle of Them All Juliana
1968 Bandolero! Maria
1968 Lady in Cement Kit Forrester
1969 100 Rifles Sarita
1969 Flareup Michele
1969 The Magic Christian Priestess of the Whip
1970 Myra Breckinridge Myra Breckinridge
1970 The Beloved Elena Also known as Sin
1971 Hannie Caulder Hannie Caulder
1972 Fuzz Det. Eileen McHenry
1972 Kansas City Bomber K.C. Carr
1972 Bluebeard Magdalena
1973 The Last of Sheila Alice Wood
1973 The Three Musketeers Constance Bonacieux Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
1974 The Four Musketeers Constance Bonacieux
1975 The Wild Party Queenie
1976 Mother, Jugs & Speed Jennifer a.k.a. "Jugs"
1977 The Prince and the Pauper Lady Edith Also known as Crossed Swords
1977 Animal Jane Gardner Also known as Stuntwoman
1994 Naked Gun 33+13: The Final Insult Herself Uncredited
1998 Chairman of the Board Grace Kosik Nominated: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress
1998 What I Did for Love Jacqueline
1999 Get Bruce Herself Documentary
2001 Legally Blonde Mrs. Windham-Vandermark
2001 Tortilla Soup Hortensia
2006 Forget About It Christine DeLee
2017 How to Be a Latin Lover Celeste Birch

Television


Year Title Role Notes
1964–1965 The Hollywood Palace Billboard Girl Season 1 Regular
1964 The Virginian Saloon Girl Episode: "Ryker"
1964 McHale's Navy Lt. Wilson Episode: "McHale, the Desk Commando"
1964 Bewitched Stewardess Episode: "Witch or Wife" (S01EP09)
1964 The Rogues Miss France Episode: "Hugger-Mugger, by the Sea"
1965 Wendy and Me Lila Harrison Episode: "Wendy Sails in the Sunset"
1965 The Baileys of Balboa Beverly Episode: "Sam's Nephew"
1970 Raquel! Herself Television Special
1971 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Guest Performer Episode: "#5.1"
1974 Really, Raquel Herself Television Special
1976 Saturday Night Live Host Episode: "Raquel Welch/Phoebe Snow/John Sebastian"
Also known as NBC's Saturday Night
1978 The Muppet Show Herself Episode: "Raquel Welch"
1979 Mork & Mindy Captain Nirvana Episode: "Mork vs. the Necrotons"
1980 From Raquel with Love Herself Television Special
1982 The Legend of Walks Far Woman Walks Far Woman TV Movie
Bronze Wrangler for Fictional Television Drama
1987 Right to Die Emily Bauer TV Movie
Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
1988 Scandal in a Small Town Leda Beth Vincent TV Movie
1989 Trouble in Paradise Rachel TV Movie
1993 Tainted Blood Elizabeth Hayes TV Movie
1993 Torch Song Paula Eastman TV Movie
1993 Evening Shade Cynthia Gibson Episode: "Small Town Girl"
1993 Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby Shelly Millstone (voice) Animated TV Special
1995 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Diana Stride Episode: "Top Copy"
1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child La Madrasta (voice) Episode: "Cinderella"
1996 Central Park West Dianna Brock Season 2 Regular
Also known as CPW
1996 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Aunt Vesta Episode: "Third Aunt from the Sun"
1997 Seinfeld Herself Episode: "The Summer of George"
1997–2000 Spin City Abby Lassiter Episodes: "A River Runs Through Me", "Balloons over Broadway"
2002 American Family Aunt Dora Season 1 Semi-Regular
2002 Jim Brown: All-American Herself Documentary
2004 8 Simple Rules Jackie Episode: "Vanity Unfair"
2008 Welcome to The Captain Charlene Van Ark Series Regular
2012 CSI: Miami Vina Navarro Episode: "Rest in Pieces"
2013 House of Versace Aunt Lucia TV Movie
2015 The Ultimate Legacy Miss Sally May Anderson TV Movie
2017 Date My Dad Rosa TV series

Stage


Year Title Role Notes
1973–1974 Raquel and the World of Sid and Marty Krofft Herself Las Vegas Hilton
Adapted into the television special Really Raquel
1981–1983 Woman of the Year Tess Harding Palace Theatre
1995 The Millionairess Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga Alexandra Theatre
1997 Victor/Victoria Victoria Grant/Victor Grazinski Marquis Theatre

Discography

Album appearances


Year Title Album
1965 "I'm Ready to Groove" A Swingin' Summer: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions
US Dance
1987 "This Girl's Back in Town" 29

Books

  • Raquel Welch: Raquel: The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program, Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (October 1, 1984), ISBN: 978-0-03069-549-0
  • Raquel Welch: Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage, Publisher: Weinstein Books (March 29, 2010), ISBN: 978-1-60286-097-1

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Raquel Welch para niños

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