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Raquel Welch (born September 5 1940 ) is an American Actress . EARLY LIFE Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, Illinois , the oldest of three children born to Armando Carlos Tejada and Josephine Sarah Hall. Her father was a Bolivian Immigrant who was an Aerospace Engineer , and her mother was an American of Irish descent. In 1942, Armando Tejada was transferred to San Diego, California . The family moved to the suburb of La Jolla , where Raquel grew up. She took Dancing lessons as a child, and was winning beauty pageants by the time she was a teenager. Among her titles were "Miss Photogenic," "Miss La Jolla," "Miss Contour," and "Miss San Diego." In 1957, she was named "Miss Fairest of the Fair" at the San Diego County Fair. After high school she entered San Diego State College on a theater arts Scholarship . The following year she married a high school sweetheart, James Welch. CAREER In 1959, Raquel Welch played the title role in the famous '' Ramona Pageant '', a yearly outdoor play at Hemet, California , which is based on the novel '' Ramona '' by Helen Hunt Jackson . She became a Weather Forecaster at a local San Diego Television station. Because of her heavy schedule, she decided to leave college. Her marriage broke up and she moved with her two children to Dallas, Texas , where she Modeled for Neiman-Marcus and worked as a cocktail hostess, intending to move on to New York City from there. Instead, she moved back to California . She found a place in Los Angeles and started making the rounds of the Movie Studio s. She was cast in bit parts in two films and television shows, '' Bewitched '', '' McHale's Navy '', '' The Hollywood Palace '', and '' The Virginian ''. Welch's first featured role was in ''A Swingin' Summer'', which led to a Contract with 20th Century Fox . She was then cast in the Sci-fi hit '' Fantastic Voyage '', which finally made her a star. On loan out to Hammer Studios in Britain , she starred in the remake of '' One Million Years B.C. ''. After her appearance as Lust incarnate in '' Bedazzled '', she returned to the United States and appeared in a Western with James Stewart and Dean Martin titled '' Bandolero! '', which was followed by '' Lady In Cement '' with Frank Sinatra . Her first real starring role was in '' Myra Breckinridge '' with Mae West , which turned out to be a dismal failure. Despite box office disappointments, Welch became one of the leading sex symbols of the 1960s and 1970s. Her most memorable Publicity still, where she was clad in a furry animal-skin Bikini for '' One Million Years B.C. '', became a bestselling poster. '' Playboy '' called her the "Most Desired Woman" of the 1970s. '', December 1979]] Welch was due to star in the 1982 adaptation of '' Cannery Row '', but was fired by the producers in favour of Debra Winger . She successfully sued, but this effectively ended her film acting career until the mid-90's. Her television appearances include the series '' The Hollywood Palace '', the made for TV movies ''The Legend of Walks Far Woman'' and '' Right To Die '', in which she turned in a stirring performance as a woman with Lou Gehrig's Disease , and in the PBS series '' American Family '', about a Mexican American family in East Los Angeles . She has also appeared in the night time Soap Opera '' CPW '' and made Infomercial s and exercise videos. While she never appeared on the show, her name was frequently used as an all-purpose answer on the game show '' Match Game ''. In 1987, she flirted with a pop singing career, releasing the dance single ''This Girl's Back In Town''. She has also performed in a Nightclub act in Las Vegas and has starred on Broadway in '' Woman Of The Year '' and in '' Victor/Victoria '', where she replaced Julie Andrews . PERSONAL LIFE She has been married to James Welch (1959-1962), Publicist and Agent ; Patrick Curtis (who played the baby of Olivia De Havilland in '' Gone With The Wind '') (1967-1972), Writer ; Andre Weinfeld(1980-1990); and Richard Palmer (1999). She is the mother of Damon Welch and actress Tahnee Welch . ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS In 1974 , Raquel Welch won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for '' The Three Musketeers ''. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the TV drama '' Right To Die '' ( 1987 ). She has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood . FILMOGRAPHY
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POP CULTURE At the peak of her career, Raquel Welch was as famous for her bustline as Jennifer Lopez is for her "bottom" line today, or more so. Some examples of cultural references:
:Answer: "Divine Right." :Question: "Describe half of Raquel Welch."
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