Raquel Welch, who paved the way for the actress and international sex symbol, passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 82 after a brief battle with illness. Welch first rose to fame with Fantastic Journey and One Million Years B.C.
She became an international sex symbol in the 1960s, best known for her role as a bikini-clad cavewoman in the film One Million Years B.C. I remember from 1966. However, despite her public image, she has long expressed discomfort with her body image, once saying, “I was not raised to be a sex symbol, and I am not a sex symbol by nature.”
The fact that I have become like this is probably the most beautiful, beautiful and happiest misunderstanding. Including the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role in The Three Musketeers in 1974.
In 1995 Empire magazine named Welch one of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Movie History”…and included her in that ranking.
Raquel has been married four times and has two children, Tanya and Damon Welch.