Welch, Raquel (1940–)
Welch, Raquel (1940–)
American actress. Born Jo Raquel Tejada, Sept 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, to Bolivian aerospace engineer father and American mother; attended San Diego State University; m. James Welch, 1959 (div. 1964); m. Patrick Curtis (publicist), 1967 (div. 1972); m. André Weinfeld (writer), 1980 (div. 1990), m. Richard Palmer (restaurateur), 1999; children: Tahnee Welch (b. 1961, actress), Damon Welch (actor).
Studied ballet as child and began entering beauty contests as teenager; employed as billboard girl on tv show "Hollywood Palace"; made film debut in A House Is Not a Home (1964); shot to stardom in One Million Years B. C. (1966), followed by Fathom (1967), Tony Rome (1968), Lady in Cement (1968), and 100 Rifles (1969); rarely challenged as an actress in film, gave evidence of abilities in The Three Musketeers (1974), winning Golden Globe for Best Actress; headlined musical revues in Las Vegas and NY (1970s–80s); performed on Broadway in Woman of the Year (1982) and Victor/Victoria (1990s); starred in tv-movie Right to Die (1987), winning Golden Globe nomination; other films include Bedazzled (1967), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968), Flareup (1969), Bluebeard (1972), Kansas City Bomber (1972), The Wild Party (1975), Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976), Crossed Swords (1978), The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979), Legally Blonde (2001) and Forget About It (2005).