Raquel Welch's impressive rise to stardom after iconic three lines in movie
Just three lines of speech could be claimed by Raquel Welch in the movie that catapulted her to stardom.
But the deerskin bikini the actress wore as only she could in the 1966 hit One Million Years BC cemented her place in the Hollywood hall of fame for the rest of her days.
She knew it, though - and accepted it, gladly. The ultimate pinup, whose death aged 82 was announced today by her manager who said she “passed away peacefully” following a brief illness, was nobody’s fool. In fact, she had an IQ of 140.
She went on to win a Golden Globe, star in some 30 films and 50 TV series, more than proving herself as an actress, becoming a template for contemporary female action heroes. But the brunette never dismissed that bikini (of which there were actually six…).
“I’m often asked if I get sick of talking about that bikini but the truth is, I don’t,” she once said.
Hollywood megastar Raquel Welch dies after 'brief illness' as fans pay tribute
“It was a major event in my life so why not talk about it?”
Raquel Welch has died aged 82 following a 'brief illness' (UIG via Getty Images)
She rose to fame for her 1960s roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. (Getty Images)Although her sex symbol status was never something she took seriously.
“I was not brought up to be a sex symbol, nor is it in my nature to be one. The fact that I became one is probably the loveliest, most glamorous and fortunate misunderstanding,” she said.
And the tributes paid to the American star overnight reflected that she was so much more.
NBA star Rex Chapman led tributes on social media this evening, Tweeting: "Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82."
Raquel Welch was reluctant sex symbol catapulted to stardom by 3 lines of speech (International Film Production/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)"What a life. Rest in peace," he added - attaching a video clip from an archived TV interview.
Karen Russel, daughter of NBA star Bill Russel, posted: “OMG. I loved her! Met her because Daddy was good friends with Jim Brown. Jim and Rachel starred in 100 Rifles ! There were big racial issues at the time!”
Born in Chicago on September 5, 1940, Jo Raquel Tejada was half Bolivian, on her father’s side. He was an aeronautical engineer.
The family moved to San Diego, California, when Raquel was two, and she was joined by two younger siblings.
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As a child she adored ballet, but discovered as a teen she didn’t have the body for it, she once claimed.
“I went to ballet school when I was seven and worked hard until I was 17 – by which time I had grown quite a bit of course and my instructor broke it to me that I really didn’t have the figure for ballet,” she said.
Raquel donned an animal skin bikini for the film 'One Million Years B.C.' (Hammer/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)She discovered beauty pageants in spite of the “blow”, but also made sure to graduate high school with honours.
Unsure what to do next she opted for Theatre Arts at the San Diego State College.
It was there she met her first husband, James Welch, who she married aged 19.
Raquel had begun to get small parts and a job as a weather forecaster on a local TV channel, but gave it up when her two children, Damon and Latanne, arrived.
She and James eventually split, and the independent mum moved to Dallas, then Los Angeles, waitressing and modelling to “get by”. It was by meeting “a few people”, she said, that she landed small movie roles.
The two that would change everything came back to back - Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C, in 1966. The dinosaur film dropped first.
“I had three lines in that, the rest was silent. I rehearsed those three lines over and over, really worried I’d get them wrong,” she recalled.
“As it turned out I don’t think anyone would have really noticed if I hadn’t got them right!
Her heartbroken family confirmed the tragic news (Getty Images)
Over the course of her career, Requel stood her ground and refused to undress on camera (The Hollywood Archive / Avalon)“That movie wasn’t about words. No wonder people didn’t think I could act.”
Roles in Bedazzled in 1967, Bandolero! the following year, 100 Rifles in 1969, Myra Breckinridge in 1970 and 1971’s Hannie Caulder followed.
But it was for her role in The Three Musketeers in 1974 she earned a Golden Globe.
Later, in 1987, she was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in Television Film for her role in Right to Die.
Later came roles on Broadway and plenty on TV, plus a Las Vegas musical act. Later still, a supporting role in Legally Blonde and most recently, in 2017, she appeared in sitcom Date My Dad.
She always claimed she was “understated” in her private life, but never stopped acknowledging the bombshell looks that built her platform, posing for Playboy in 1979. Although she never went nude, then or throughout her career.
Hugh Hefner once said: “Raquel Welch, one of the last of the classic sex symbols, came from the era when you could be considered the sexiest woman in the world without taking your clothes off, she declined to do complete nudity, and I yielded gracefully, the pictures prove her point.”
Surrounded by the leading men of her day, gossip was always rife - and she admitted there was often a frisson.
She always claimed she was “understated” in her private life
Raquel with her childrenI immediately think of Frank Sinatra, Harvey Keitel, Larry Hagman, Dean Martin, Burt Reynolds and Richard Burton,” she said.
“They were all fun to be with and professional in their approach.
“I think I probably had a crush on each of them – that’s not a bad thing when you have to create some chemistry on screen.”
But three further marriages followed, to producer Patrick Curtis, filmmaker André Weinfeld and, finally, actor Richie Palmer, who she separated from in 2003 and later also divorced.
She craved normality. “What I do on the screen is not to be equated with what I do in my private life. Privately, I am understated and dislike any hoopla,” she said.
However, in later life she was insistent she wouldn’t marry again.
“I’m sure I would be a challenge for an awful lot of men. They wouldn’t want to deal with it or, if they would like to deal with it, maybe I’m just not that interested,” she said.
Most recently, she lived a life largely away from the spotlight, but never denounced it. After all, it had made her.
She admitted it was “nice to be noticed”.
“I think it is much better than not being noticed!” she added.
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