Reese Witherspoon leads Hollywood tributes after actress Raquel Welch dies

16 February 2023 , 05:46

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Reese Witherspoon leads Hollywood tributes after actress Raquel Welch dies

The world of Hollywood joined the world in mourning the death of actress Raquel Welch on Wednesday.

The Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C. star died at the age of 82 following a "brief illness", her heartbroken family confirmed.

She had celebrated a career that spanned over 50 years on both the small screen and big screen, culminating in a number of top award wins.

Among them was a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her 1974 role in The Three Musketeers.

Elsewhere in a long list of TV credits, Raquel featured in Bewitched, Seinfeld, and McHale’s Navy. Her film credits include 100 Rifles and The Last of Sheila, as well as The Three Musketeers.

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Raquel Welch died at the age of 82 (20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

Her last movie performance came in 2017 (Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)

Following the sad news of her death, a number of huge names in showbiz took to social media to pay the respects. Among them was Reese Witherspoon, who wrote on Twitter : "So sad to hear about Raquel Welch’s passing.

"I loved working with her on Legally Blonde. She was elegant , professional and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home."

Carmen Electra shared: "#restinpeace to one of my icons, ms. raquel welch. Your legendary lives on!"

Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. (Hammer/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

And the official Muppets Twitter page shared a picture of the star alongside Miss Piggy and wrote: "We’ll never forget our remarkable friend Raquel Welch, one of our favorite guests on The Muppet Show. From dancing with a giant spider, to inspiring @FozzieBear, and duetting with @MissPiggy, Raquel could do it all!"

On Instagram, Viola Davis shared her own heartfelt words, penning: "It was a pleasure to meet you! You were ageless to me….iconic…Rest well Raquel Welch!!

Eugenio Derbez, who starred with Raquel on her final film in 2017, How To Be A Latin Lover, also hailed her for "being so warm and so funny".

Raquel Welch in The Zombies (Dezo Hoffman/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking to Deadline, Eugenio said: "Raquel may have been known as one of the most iconic sex symbols in the world but I will remember her for being so warm and so funny.

"She came to set ready to play and had no problem poking fun at herself and just had the best sense of humour. We did a gag with her on How to Be a Latin Lover where both of her arms get pulled off and as we were testing the effect on it, she turned to us and said ‘I started my career on 10,000 BC and I’m going to end it doing this, God help me.’ We all laughed so hard. I will never forget her."

Raquel is survived by her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch, according to her manager’s statement.

Jamie Roberts