Wednesday, February 15th 2023, 2:05 pm
Raquel Welch, the legendary Golden Globe-winning actress, has died. She was 82.
Welch died Wednesday morning following a brief illness, according to TMZ, which first broke the news. The cause of death has not been revealed.
Welch first earned fame in 1966 in the film Fantastic Voyage. It was her role in that sci-fi film that landed her a lucrative contract with 20th Century Fox, ultimately leading to her role in One Million Years B.C., which was released the same year. Welch, who said in 2017 she almost died shooting the British fantasy film, had just three lines in the entire movie. But it was her image as Loana in a "prehistoric" doeskin bikini for the film's poster that catapulted her as an international sex symbol.
After earning worldwide fame thanks to that poster, Welch would become one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. She'd star in several big and small screen projects, including Bedazzled, Bandolero!, 100 Rifles, Myra Breckinridge and Hannie Caulder.
Her steady rise in the 1960s led to even more success the following decade, particularly after landing the role of Constance Bonacieux, the dressmaker of the Queen in The Three Musketeers. For her performance in the 1973 live-action film, Welch was honored with a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
She was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1987 for Best Actress in a Television Film for her role in Right to Die. Welch, who placed third on Playboy's 100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century list, also made a memorable appearance as herself on Seinfeld, playing a villain in "The Summer of George" episode in season 8.
Welch also stared in Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon and appeared in Spin City, CSI: Miami, House of Versace and, most recently, How to Be a Latin Lover.
She was married four times and had two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch.
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