Raquel Welch

The last of the Hollywood sex symbols, Raquel Welch began appearing in films in the mid-1960s and enjoyed a run as pin-up girl after capturing the public's imagination clad in a well-tailored fur bikini in the prehistoric fantasy "One Million Years BC" (1966). Who would have known she was a single mother of two? Her packagers never let on. They just continued to push the fantasy, creating an uphill battle for her to earn any respect as a serious actor. Welch ornamented a number of lightweight vehicles before bombing in the title role of "Myra Breckinridge" (1970--Mae West walked off with most of the publicity), then took a measure of control over her screen persona, producing and starring in "Hannie Calder" (1971), the first of her macho femme Western roles. She altered the image further with "Kansas City Bomber" (1972), insisting on doing her own stunts as good-hearted roller derby star Diane 'KC' Carr.

Welch had one of her finest hours displaying her comic timing as Constance in Richard Lester's version of the "The Three Musketeers" (1973), winning a Golden Globe for her efforts. She appeared again as Constance in Lester's follow-up "The Four Musketeers" (1975) and shone as the Jugs of Peter Yates' "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" (1976), the easygoing camaraderie of the three principles (with Bill Cosby and Harvey Keitel) providing a refreshingly strong role for her. Hollywood, however, cast her body more than anything (she was a sex symbol after all) and refused to see an actress of any depth. In order to branch out into more dramatic fare, Welch moved to the small screen during the 80s earning plaudits for her work in NBC TV-movies like "The Legend of Walks Far Woman" (1982), "Right to Die" (1987, in which she was convincing as a woman stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease) and "Scandal in a Small Town" (1988).

Welch sued MGM in 1980 for firing her from "Cannery Row" (1982), eventually pocketing $14 million. In 1981, she made her Broadway debut succeeding Lauren Bacall in "Woman of the Year" and upped her credibility immensely. She made her series debut as a regular in the revamped version of Darren Star's "CPW" (CBS, 1996) before replacing Julie Andrews on the Great White Way the following year in "Victor/Victoria". Perhaps it strained credulity (not to mention challenging costumers) to present her as a woman passing for a man, but her presence could not keep the show from closing. Despite the setback, Welch has remained committed to developing her craft, appeared onstage in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's "The Millionairess" in 1998 (having previously played the role in a British tour). She also returned to features that year playing Grace Kosik the nemesis of comedian Carrot Top in the uneven comedy "Chairman of the Board".

• Also Credited As:
  Jo-Raquel Tejada
• Born:
  September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Singer, Model, Producer, Screenwriter, Cocktail waitress

Family

• Brother: Castillo Tejada.
• Daughter: La Tahn Welch. born on December 26, 1961 in San Diego, California
• Father: Armand Tejada. Bolivian
• Mother: Josephine Esterly. died on October 17, 2000 at age 91
• Sister: Gayle Pate.
• Son: Damon Welch. born in 1960, computer consultant and aspiring actor
• Step-son: Richard Palmer Jr. born c. 1989; father, Richard Palmer

Significant Others

• Husband: Richard Palmer. born c. 1955; owned and managed Mulberry Street Cafe; formerly involved with Cathy Moriarty; divorced with one son; met in 1997; announced engagement in July 1998; married on July 17, 1999

Education

• La Jolla High School, La Jolla, California, 1958
• San Diego State College, San Diego, California, drama

Milestones

• 1943 Moved with family to La Jolla, California (date approximate)
• 1947 First taste of the stage at San Diego s Old Globe Theatre as member of a children s theater group (date approximate)
• 1955 Won La Jolla beauty competition at age 15 (date approximate)
• 1964 Broke into show business as billboard girl on the Hollywood Palace TV show
• 1964 First film appearance (as walk-on) in Elvis Presely vehicle Roustabout
• 1965 Film acting and singing debut ( introducing Raquel Welch ) in A Swingin Summer
• 1966 Indelibly entered the public s consciousness as the bikini-clad cave woman of One Million Years B.C.
• 1968 First (of many) appearance on a Bob Hope TV special
• 1970 Hosted first variety special, Raquel (CBS)
• 1970 Played title role in Myra Breckinridge
• 1971 Produced and starred in Hannie Caulder
• 1972 Portrayed Diane KC Carr in Kansas City Bomber
• 1973 Acted the part of Constance in Richard Lester s The Three Musketeers
• 1975 Reprised role in Lester s The Four Musketeers ; films were shot simultaneously
• 1976 Contributed her Jugs to Mother, Jugs, and Speed
• 1980 Sued MGM over dismissal from the film Cannery Row ; eventually won a $14 million judgment in her favor
• 1981 Broadway debut in Woman of the Year ; succeeded Lauren Bacall in role of Tess Harding; songwriters John Jander and Fred Ebb added new material for her to sing
• 1982 TV-movie debut in title role as The Legend of Walks Far Woman (NBC)
• 1987 Offered a convincing turn as stricken Emily Bauer in NBC-movie, Right to Die
• 1988 Starred as Leda Beth Vincent in NBC-movie, Scandal in a Small Town
• 1993 Made frequent guest appearances on sitcoms, including Evening Shade , Seinfeld Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Spin City
• 1993 Headlined TV-movie Tainted Blood (USA Network)
• 1994 Was TV spokesperson for Equal sweetner
• 1995 British stage debut touring in George Bernard Shaw s The Millionairess ; production s London booking canceled
• 1996 Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 1996 TV series debut as regular on the primetime CBS soap opera CPW , a revamping of Central Park West ; played the bitchy, wealthy ex-wife of a businessman
• 1997 Returned to Broadway, replacing Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria
• 1998 Portrayed Grace Kosik in Chairman of the Board
• 1998 Starred in Foxborough, Massachusetts stage production of The Millionairess
• 2000 Had featured role in the TV pilot An American Family , written and directed by Gregory Nava; series picked up for airing by PBS in 2001-2002
• 2001 Co-starred with Hector Elizondo in Tortilla Soup , a remake of Eat Drink Man Woman set in L.A. s Latino community
• 2001 Had supporting role in Legally Blonde
• 2002 Played Aunt Dora on the television series American Family, also starred Edward James Olmos and Sonia Braga
• Moved to L.A. as a single mother with two children from her first marriage; worked several jobs to support family
• Will play an ex-Las Vegas showgirl opposite Burt Reynolds in the madcap comedy Forget About It (lensed 2004)
• Worked as a cocktail waitress and model in Dallas in early 1960s