Raquel Welch, an iconic model and actress who is best known for her work in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C., has reportedly passed away at the age of 82.
TMZ reports that Welch’s family members revealed she died on Wednesday (February 15th) following a brief illness. They did not disclose what type of illness it was.
The media outlet revealed that while she only had a handful of lines in B.C., she became a sex symbol in Hollywood. This was due to her wardrobe in the film. She was a two-time Golden Globe nominee and scored Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in the 1974 film The Three Musketeers.
Empire Magazine also dubbed Raquel Welch as one of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History” in 1995. She was naked #3 in Playboy’s “100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century” as well. The actress was married four times and had two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch.
Raquel Welch’s Manager Steve Sauer Confirms Her Sudden Passing
In a statement to PEOPLE, Raquel Welch’s manager, Steve Sauer, confirmed that she passed away peacefully in the early hours of Wednesday.
“Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances,” Sauer explained. “The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch.”
The actress spoke to the media outlet in 2010 about her career over the years. “I never thought life was going to give me something for nothing,” she stated at the time. Welch further revealed that by the age of 7, she knew she wanted to be an actress. “My parents enrolled me in a theater program. You could get away from some of the painfulness of real life. I always had flights of fancy. I’ve had a great life — and it’s not over yet!”
In 2018, Welch revealed that actor Burt Reynolds asked her for advice on posing for his now-famous 1972 Cosmopolitan centerfold. “He used to come up to me and say, ‘So, what do you think? You had your poster, and now, look at this,” she said. The actress noted that it became one of their favorite jokes. “Well, his [centerfold] is quite a bit more obvious than mine. I think I was just standing on top of a volcano!”
In regards to Reynolds’ famous centerfold pic, Welch added that it was so fun. “But that was that Burt attitude. From the neck up, you just knew, he was sharing a laugh with everybody. He was in on the joke. And he knew that everybody’s in on the joke. Because you can see, without winking, he was.”
