Raquel Welch dead at 82: Actress dies after brief illness

American actress and international sex symbol Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82 following a brief illness, her business manager has confirmed.

Steve Sauer told CNN that she died in Los Angeles Wednesday morning following a ‘brief illness.’ 

Her death was first reported by TMZ, citing family members, prompting fans and celebrities alike to post tributes to the iconic actress online. 

Welch rose to fame from her back-to-back roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. in 1966. 

She had a minimal speaking roles in One Million Years BC, but her deerskin bikini in the film cemented her as a sex symbol.

From there, Welch went on to see much success as a movie star in the 1960s and 1970s, earning a Golden Globe for her role in The Three Musketeers in 1974.

By 1995, Welch was named one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History in an issue of Empire magazine, and was ranked No. 3 in Playboy’s 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century.

Raquel Welch was cemented as an international sex symbol with her role in One Million Years BC

Raquel Welch, who gained international fame in the 1960s, has died at the age of 82

Welch, pictured in 2017, is survived by her two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch

The actress was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois to a Bolivian immigrant father, Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo and Josephine Sarah Hall.

She was the eldest of three siblings, James and Gayle Tejada. 

The family moved to San Diego, California when Welch was just 2 years old, where she regularly attended church with her mother.

Welch began studying ballet at the age of 7, but gave up on the pursuit after 10 years when her instructor told her she did not have the right body type for professional ballet companies.

At the age of 14, Welch won beauty titles as Miss Photogenic and Miss Contour. She would then go on to win Miss La Jolla and the title of Miss San Diego – the Fairest of the Fair – at the San Diego County Fair. 

Eventually, she was even named Maid of California.

Following high school, Welch attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. 

Her first foray into Hollywood came with guest spots on popular television shows like Bewitched, The Virginian and McHale’s Navy.

 From there, she landed her big break in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC.

She also took on roles playing the deadly sin Lust opposite Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the 1967 comedy Bedazzled and played the titular secret agent in the spy comedy Fathom.

Welch also had roles in the 1969 western 100 Riles and played transgender titular character Myra Breckinridge in the 1970s film.

By the 1970s, Welch was making the rounds on television, appearing on Robin Williams’ comedy Mork and Mindy as his nemesis, as well as in television films The Girl’s Back in Town and Right to Die, earning a Golden Globe for the latter.

More recently, Welch has made appearances on Lois & Clark, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Seinfeld, Spin City and CSI: Miami. 

She played the transgender titular character Myra Breckinridge in the 1970s film

Welch’s first foray into Hollywood came with guest spots on popular television shows before she landed her breakout roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C.

Welch was named one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History in 1995

Welch was married to James Welch from 1959 to 1964, Patrick Curtis from 1967 to 1972, Andre Weinfeld from 1980 to 1990, and Richard Palmer from 1999 to 2004, with whom she has two children Tahnee and Damon Welch.