Raquel Welch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raquel Welch
Welch in 1976
Born	Jo Raquel Tejada (1940-09-05)September 5, 1940 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	February 15, 2023(2023-02-15) (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1964–2023
Spouse(s)	James Welch ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1964)​ Patrick Curtis ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1972)​ André Weinfeld ​ ​ (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).

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

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

Television

Stage

Discography

Album appearances

Singles

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

In Spanish: Raquel Welch para niños