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Sad news out of Hollywood today, as movie icon Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82.<\/p>\n
According to a statement from Welch\u2019s publicist, the actress died following a brief illness.<\/p>\n
Some of our younger readers might not be familiar with Raquel\u2019s body of work, but those who came of age in the sixties and seventies are likely remember a time when few names were more recognizable.<\/p>\n
Thanks to her work in such popular films as Fantastic Voyage<\/em> and One Million Years B.C<\/em>., Welch became one of the biggest stars on the planet while still in her twenties.<\/p>\n<\/noscript>Actress Raquel Welch attends Mercedes-Benz presents the Carousel of Hope Ball benefitting Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes on October 11, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Chelsea Lauren\/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHer wardrobe in the latter film was described by one critic as the \u201cdefinitive look of the 1960s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born Jo Raquel Tejada in 1940 to a Bolivian immigrant father, Welch was encouraged by her first manager to use her husband\u2019s name professionally, so as not to be \u201ctypecast in Latina roles.\u201d<\/p>\n
She drew the line, however, at changing her first name to \u201cDebbie\u201d at the advice of a studio exec who thought \u201cRaquel\u201d would be too hard for audiences to pronounce.<\/p>\nRaquel Welch poses on arrival for the Hollywood Reporter\u2019s Women in Entertainment Event on December 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO\/ FREDERIC J. BROWN (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN \/ AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn the decades that followed, Welch racked up more than 40 film credits.<\/p>\n
In addition to the popcorn fare that made her famous, Welch tackled more challenging roles, such as the transgender title character in the 1970 film Myra Breckenridge<\/em>, based on the controversial novel by Gore Vidal.<\/p>\nShe also skewered her own image as a sex symbol with humorous roles in Seinfeld<\/em>, Spin City<\/em>, and Naked Gun 33+1\/3: The Final Insult.<\/em><\/p>\nActress Raquel Welch arrives for the premiere of How To Be A Latin Lover at the Arclight Dome Cinema in Hollywood, California on April 26, 2017. (Photo by Mark RALSTON \/ AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cPart of being a sex symbol is very flattering and it does help you get success in the business \u2013 but only to a point,\u201d Welch said in a 2001 interview with Cinema.com, adding that \u201cit does cloud people\u2019s imagination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just can\u2019t see you being able to do anything else,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Around that same time, Welch made herself known to a whole new generation thanks her to work in the beloved Reese Witherspoon comedy Legally Blonde<\/em>.<\/p>\nActor Raquel Welch attends Barneys New York Celebration of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation at Barneys New York Beverly Hills on May 11, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer\/Getty Images for Barneys New York)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNews of Welch\u2019s death made her name an instant trending topic on Twitter, as heartfelt tributes poured in from family, friends, and a legion of adoring fans.<\/p>\n
She is survived by her two children, including the actress Tahnee Welch.<\/p>\n
Our thoughts go out to Raquel\u2019s loved ones as they mourn the loss of a true Hollywood legend.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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