Raquel Welch Turned 81 Years Old — A Look At Her Beauty Today

Sep 05, 2021

Most will remember Raquel Welch for being one of Hollywood's most memorable bombshells and as one of the 1960s and ‘70s most iconic actresses. Her most well-known films include “Bandolero!,” “Myra Breckinridge” and “The Three Muskeeters,” though the prolific actress has starred in countless films and TV shows since she got her start in 1964. To celebrate the star’s 81st birthday today, we’ll take a look back at her life and stunning career in show business.

Born in Chicago towards the end of WWII, Jo Raquel Tejada had a humble upbringing in San Diego, California. Her father, originally from Bolivia, worked as an aeronautical engineer, while her mother, Josephine Sarah Hall, was a homemaker.

For Raquel, performing had become an escape from her turbulent life at home — and so began her love for the stage. As a young child, her mother had already noticed Raquel’s talent and enrolled her at the San Diego Junior Theatre. She later received a scholarship to study theater at the San Diego State College.

After enrolling, Jim Welch, whom Raquel’s high school sweetheart, returned from Peru and asked for her hand in marriage. Not wasting a second, Raquel dropped out of college, and the two got hitched in Las Vegas. In the meantime, the young bride became pregnant just months after their wedding. Over the next two years, the couple would have two children: Damon, a son, and Tahnee, a daughter.

While Raquel loved being a mother and wife, she still yearned for a career in acting and had been receiving offers left and right from Hollywood producers. She dreamed of one day moving to New York to pursue theater, but her husband was not as keen on the idea.

After three years of marriage, the couple would divorce, and Raquel moved to Dallas, barely making a living through modeling and working as a local weather reporter. 

Eventually, however, Raquel made it out to Los Angeles in 1963. As a young aspiring actress in Hollywood, Raquel met one-time child star Patrick Curtis, who became her business manager and made it his mission to turn Raquel into a bombshell. Raquel was finally approached by producer Cubby Broccoli, who offered her a long-term contract at 20th Century Fox after seeing her photo in a magazine and landed her first leading role in the 1966 sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage.” That same year, Raquel would star in her most iconic role as Laona in “One Million Years B.C.,” and with it would become one of the most well-known actresses in Hollywood. While Raquel only had three lines in the movie, her doeskin bikini quickly made her a cultural symbol in both the U.S. and Europe. 

"I had no other credentials as an actress outside of that one laughable line of dialogue: 'Me Loana… You Tumak,'" Raquel wrote of the film. "It felt like I'd stumbled into a booby trap — pun intended. I'm a living proof that a picture speaks a thousand words."

The '70s saw Raquel shoot to international fame and star in many films such as “Kansas City Bomber” (1972), “The Last of Sheila” (1973), “The Three Musketeers” (1973), “The Four Musketeers” (1974) and “The Wild Party” (1975). In 1970, Raquel landed her first television special, “Raquel!” in which big names like Tom Jones and John Wayne made guest appearances.

The show was an ambitious number, filmed in London, Paris, Acapulco, Mexico City, Yucatan, Big Sur and Los Angeles, featuring both dance and comedic bits. It is still considered to be a classic timepiece of the '70s by many. 

After a long hiatus, Raquel made a comeback in 1987 in the powerful film “Right to Die.” Raquel played Emily Bauer, a psychologist with Lou Gehrig's disease who desires to end her life through voluntary euthanasia due to her diagnosis. Her portrayal in the film would bag her a nomination for Best Actress in a small screen film that following year. Following “Right to Die,” Raquel continued to take up roles in T.V. films such as “Scandal in a Small Town” (1988), “Trouble in Paradise” (1989) and “Torch Song” (1993). The late '90s saw Raquel make guest appearances in numerous classic shows like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Seinfield.” Around that same time, she made her big Broadway debut in the classic “Victor/Victoria.” 

She has since received many prestigious accolades for her mark on American culture, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The prestigious Film Society Lincoln Center presented a special retrospective of Raquel’s films at the Walter Reade Theater in 2012 to celebrate the actress’ mark on show business. 

Raquel’s most recent role was on the 2017 TV comedy “Date My Dad,” which revolves around Ricky Cooper (Barry Watson), a former professional basketball player who starts dating again for the first time after his wife’s death 20 years earlier. Raquel plays Rosa, Ricky’s mother-in-law, in a role that has us all nostalgic and thinking back on her long career.

Happy Birthday, Raquel Welch! What’s your favorite role of hers? Do you have any distinct memories of seeing her on the big screen or on TV? Let us know — and celebrate alongside Raquel by passing this article on.