Remembering Raquel Welch
Hollywood Goddess and Sex Symbol
Remembering Raquel Welch
The 60’s and 70’s bombshell was born as Jo-Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. She got her big break in 1966 film “Fantastic Voyage. Later that same year, she snagged a role in “One Million Years B.C.” she had only three lines in the movie, but images of her in a doe-skin bikini were memorable enough to solidify her role as the sex symbol of her generation. She would star in several iconic films like “Myra Breckinridge,” as the original sexy Devil in “Bedazzled,” “100 Rifles” and “The Three Musketeers” which her performance would win her the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy in 1974. In 2011, Men’s Health would solidify her sex symbol status by ranking her No. 2 in its “Hottest Women of All Time” and Playboy ranked Welch No. 3 on their “100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century” list.
The daughter of a Bolivian father, Armando Tejada, and an American mother, Josephine Hall, Raquel Welch, was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. Welch was raised in San Diego, California, where she developed a passion for performing at an early age. She studied ballet and later attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship, laying the foundation for her future career.
Welch began her career in the 1960s with minor television roles and small parts in films. However, her breakthrough came in 1966 when she starred in the prehistoric adventure film One Million Years B.C. Her role, though largely non-verbal, made Welch an international sensation, thanks in part to her famous fur bikini, which became an iconic image of the era. This launched her into stardom, solidifying her status as a sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s.
Welch continued to build her acting career with notable roles in films like Fantastic Voyage (1966), Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero! (1968), and Myra Breckinridge (1970), where she took on more complex and diverse roles. Despite being typecast as a glamorous figure early in her career, Welch sought to prove her versatility as an actress. She earned critical acclaim for her role in The Three Musketeers (1973), winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
In addition to her film work, Welch appeared in numerous television shows and stage productions. She starred in TV specials, including Raquel! in 1970, which showcased her singing and dancing talents. In the 1980s and 1990s, Welch expanded her career into business, launching a successful line of wigs, fitness videos, and beauty products, further enhancing her public image.
Despite her glamorous public persona, Welch worked hard to be taken seriously as an actress, often pushing back against the limited roles offered to her as a sex symbol. Her persistence earned her respect within the entertainment industry, and she remained a prominent figure for decades.
Raquel Welch was married four times and had two children, Damon and Tahnee, from her first marriage to James Welch. She maintained a relatively private life, keeping her family out of the spotlight. Welch’s Bolivian heritage was a source of pride for her, though she was often not publicly associated with it during the height of her career. In later years, she embraced her Latina roots more openly.
Raquel Welch passed away on February 15, 2023, at the age of 82.
By Ken Warren, 2017
Take a look back at Raquel in “One Million Years BC”
Throughout the years
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