Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82.
The actress’ family has confirmed to TMZ that she passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness.
The Hollywood star rose to fame in the 1960s, when she appeared in the sci-fi movie “Fantastic Voyage” and the fantasy film “One Million Years BC”.
Welch became one of the most sought-after stars in the movie business and an international sex symbol.
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The actress was well-known for playing strong female characters and in 1974, she won a Golden Globe Award for best motion picture actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance in “The Three Musketeers”.
She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in “Right to Die”, the 1987 drama film.
Welch – who competed in various beauty pageants before finding fame in the movie business – was also ranked as one of “Empire” magazine’s 100 sexiest stars in film history in 1995.
What’s more, the actress – who was married four times – was ranked number three in “Playboy” magazine’s 100 sexiest stars of the twentieth century list.
Despite this, Welch once admitted that she made a conscious effort to distance herself from her sex symbol status.
The actress – who worked as a TV weather reporter before finding success in Hollywood said: “I flipped my hair and put a bow in – to make myself look less exotic. But at some point I said: ‘I’m not going to fight it. This is what makes me different.’“
Welch leaves her two children from her marriage to James Welch – her daughter Tawnee, 61, and her son Damon, 63.
