The Beginning
On September 5th, 1940, Jo Raquel Tejada (Raquel Welch) was born in Illinois, Chicago. She had an interesting mix of Spanish descent from her father’s side and English descent on her mother’s side. Her mother’s ancestors arrived in America on the Mayflower.
The Beginning
Young Ballerina
From a young age, Raquel was a performer and she found ways to capture people’s attention. From the age of seven until she was seventeen, she took ballet classes and did quite well. But her ballerina aspirations came crashing down when her teacher said that she didn’t have the right build for ballet.
Young Ballerina
Recognized For Her Beauty
Her parents decided to move the family to California, and not only after they decided to get a divorce. Raquel was obviously upset by this, but at the same time she was becoming recognized for her natural charm and glow. At the San Diego county fair, she won the title of “Miss Fairest of the Fair”. That wasn’t the only title the 14-year-old was donned with at the fair; she was also named “Miss Photogenic” and “Miss Contour”.
Recognized For Her Beauty
Making An Impression
Placing first at contests seemed to become a trend for the young Raquel Welch. She managed to receive the titles of both “Miss La Jolla” and “Miss Southern California”.
More Beautiful
Completing High School
All throughout her time in La Jolla High School, boys were interested in her, but she wanted more than just a boyfriend. In 1958 she graduated high school with honors and went on to win a number of roles in her local acting theater.
Completing High School
Her First Marriage
High school was an important time for Welch as it was there that she met James Welch – the man whose name she would take and make into her own. She fell in love with her high school sweetheart and married him in 1959 after Welch fell pregnant. When 1961 came around the couple already had two kids, Damon and Latanne. At the same time they were going through a rough patch, and eventually the two got divorced.
Her First Marriage
Making Ends Meet
Raquel Welch worked hard to get a scholarship to attend San Diego State College where she wanted to study drama. But with the scholarship she still needed to find an income, so she took on a number of different jobs. She worked as a weather forecaster at KFMB, worked as a cocktail waitress, and spent some time in front of the camera as a model.
Making Ends Meet
Her Debut
It was in 1964 that Raquel Welch made her first appearance on the big screen. It wasn’t by any means a big role, but it was the start that got her foot in the door. The movie was called, “A house is Not a Home”, and she had the role of a call girl.
Her Debut
Her Second Marriage
Despite being a beautiful model, her career in front of the camera as a model wasn’t as successful as she would have liked it to be. Welch made a brave decision and packed up her things and set out to find work in Los Angeles. While on the search for an acting role, she met Patrick Curtis. Curtis took on the role of her manager, and later married Welch. They stayed married from 1966 until 1972.
Her Second Marriage
Introducing Raquel Welch
Patrick Curtis’ idea was to use Raquel Welch’s beauty to gain her popularity as a sex symbol. Curtis also insisted that Raquel use her first husband’s last name so as not to be cast as a Latino which was not ideal at that time. Raquel Welch made some strides at this time, like appearing in TV series like, The Virginian, McHale’s Navy, and Bewitched.
Introducing Raquel Welch
Tweaking Her Name
At first Welch thought that keeping her ex-husband’s last name was going to make magic, but then the producers at 20th Century Fox had another idea for her. They told her to change her name to “Debbie” because they claimed “Raquel” was too difficult to pronounce. She still remembers that, “I think they were paranoid that Raquel sounded too ethnic.”
Tweaking Her Name
Her First Movie
In 1965, Raquel Welch successfully made it into her first movie, called A Swingin’ Summer. She played her heart out and it didn’t go unnoticed. The wife of producer, Saul David, immediately noticed that Welch was talented and told her husband about Raquel. That small gesture would land Welch a 7-year contract with 20th Century Fox.
Her First Movie
One Million Years B.C.
It was in 1966 that the world really opened its eyes to Raquel Welch. It all started with her leading role in the science fiction movie, Fantastic Voyage. But it was One Million Years B.C. that got everyone talking.
One Million Years B.C.
No Opinion
While working on the set of One Million Years B.C., Welch had some great ideas that she wanted to share with the director. Any attempt she made was shot down with condescension. The movie’s director grunted at her and said, “You’ve got to be kidding. You’ve been thinking about this scene? See that rock over there? You just start from that rock and run across to that other rock, and that’s all we want from you today.”
No Opinion
The Pin-Up
The iconic image of her standing and looking up has since become an iconic poster and even made a special guest appearance in a hit movie years later. In the Shawshank Redemption of 1994, it’s this poster that hides the hole being dug out of the prison.
The Pin-Up
Barbarella In The 41st Century
In 1968, the sci-fi movie called Barbella came out. The movie was set in the 41st century and the leading role was supposed to be reserved for Raquel Welch. Eventually the role was actually given to Jane Fonda, and Welch took the blow quite hard.
Barbarella In The 41st Century
Color Blind Acting
A lot of controversy arose when Raquel Welch acted with Jim Brown in 100 Rifles, especially after they shared an intimate interracial love scene that 1969 might not have been ready for yet. Welch looks back at that movie, “I really didn’t see what the big deal was. I’ve always personally been color blind. When I was doing 100 Rifles and I found out I’d be working with Jim Brown, I was more concerned with whether he could act, because he was primarily known as a football player. But he was great.”
Color Blind Acting
Myra Breckinridge
In 1968, Gore Vidal published a satirical novel that brought new and somewhat controversial thought to the norms of sexuality and society’s view on gender. In 1970, Welch took on the leading role of Myra Breckinridge in the film adaptation of the book. The movie was a total failure, and although it was named one of the worst movies of all time, Welch kept her head high.
Myra Breckinridge
Doing Her Best
After the movie displeased cinema-goers, Simon Doonan interviewed Raquel Welch and asked her what she liked about the failed movie. She told him, “Well, I liked the experience of it. I enjoyed making it.” “But there’s not much you can do as an actor when a film is falling apart. I couldn’t control that the script wasn’t coming together. Each rewrite got further and further from making any sense.”
Doing Her Best
Kansas City Bomber
Welch made another impression on audiences in 1972 with Kansas City Bomber. Her role was that of a roller-skater trying become famous while simultaneously trying to balance her personal life. The movie actually successfully received a nomination for a Golden Globes Award.
Kansas City Bomber
Going Above And Beyond
Raquel Welch was so invested in her part as K.C. Carr on the set of The Kansas City Bomber, that she ended up hurting herself. She broke her wrist during a skating accident while she was practicing.
Going Above And Beyond
Being Hannie Caulder
In 1971, Raquel Welch played the role of Hannie Caulder. This was a monumental moment for women on the western cowboy movie scene. Women hadn’t taken on strong roles in this field yet, in fact they were always the stereotypical femme fatales. Quentin Tarantino revealed that Welch was the inspiration for his 2003 movie, Kill Bill.
Being Hannie Caulder
Hugh Hefner’s Take
When Raquel insisted that she would not pose naked in his magazine, he was actually quite impressed. “Raquel Welch, one of the last of the classic 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.”
Hugh Hefner’s Take
The Three Musketeers
When Raquel Welch played the part of Constance Bonacieux in The Three Musketeers in 1974, she didn’t expect to win an award for her performance. In the end she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
The Three Musketeers
Replaced And Angered
Originally Raquel Welch was supposed to be the lead female in the 1982 movie, Cannery Row, but Debra Winger replaced her. Welch sued the studio for $10 million as she claimed that they had used her name just for the sake of garnering money for the movie. Welch won the case.
Replaced And Angered
Her Third And Fourth Marriages
Welch’s third marriage lasted from 1980 until 1990 when she was married to director and journalist, Andre Weinfield. Her fourth marriage lasted from 1999 to 2008 which was to Richard Palmer. Following her fourth failed marriage, she vowed not to marry ever again.
Her Third And Fourth Marriages
Staying Fit
Many people have asked Raquel Welch how she kept her figure and shape throughout the years, and maybe 1987 could be an indication for us. She launched her own fitness program, “The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program”. Take a look at them on YouTube, if you want to.
Staying Fit
The Real Raquel Welch
When you’re a famous and successful Hollywood star, it becomes difficult for fans to separate the actual person from the actor. This really gets to Raquel Welch, who says, “People sit and wait for me to turn them on. I think to myself, what the hell, why should I come on to some guy? I can see he’s not interested in me. It’s not me he’s especially interested in. It’s Raquel Welch! The label. He’s after the label.”
The Real Raquel Welch
Plastic Surgery
Since the moment Raquel Welch made it onto the scene, everyone has been discuss her appearance as the first order of business. With such beauty many have speculated that the star has undergone plastic surgery, but she has her own response to that. “I’ve never had any such surgery. It’s so irritating when they say I have. What can I do? Sue?”
Plastic Surgery
One Hot Woman
Raquel Welch was quite surprised when FHM magazine compiled a list of the 100 most beautiful women of all time. She placed second in the entire list, which took her by surprise. “I don’t really understand how I could be ahead of Marilyn Monroe. That just seems bizarre to me.” First place was taken by Jennifer Aniston.
One Hot Woman
How to Be a Latin Lover
Raquel Welch appeared in the 2017 movie, How to Be a Latin Lover. She showed the world that she isn’t done with being in the limelight. This is only one project of hers which she has focused her attention on.
How To Be A Latin Lover
Her Hair And Wigs
Throughout the 50’s, women with blonde hair were trademarked as the bombshells and beauties of Hollywood. Raquel Welch changed that perception and it actually encouraged her to take the idea of beautiful hair to a successful wig line. The company is called “HAIRuWEAR” which aims to influence the feeling someone has about themselves through their hair.
Her Hair And Wigs
Her Awards
Raquel Welch has won herself a Golden Globe award and even earned herself a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to these great achievements, she has received the Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting Americans of Latin heritage throughout her acting career.
Her Awards
Raquel Welch As An Inspiration
Raquel Welch might be 77 years old, but she is living her life to the fullest, as she always has. She is someone we can all look up to, and not just as the beautiful woman she still is, but as the character that never gives up and doesn’t allow the circumstances around her to change her. Raquel Welch has helped changed the image of the Hollywood image to become one of success and determination, and not simply just of looks.
Raquel Welch As An Inspiration
