Raquel Welch is a popular American singer and a versatile actress of the industry. She has also earned popularity as a renowned model of the industry. She has secured a lot of recognition and popularity in her career.
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Raquel Welch was born in the year 1940 on September 5th. She grew up in Chicago, Illinois, United States as Jo Raquel Tejada with her brother James Stanford and sister Gayle Carole. She was the daughter of Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo and Josephine Sarah. Her mother was an architect and her father was an aeronautical engineer. She belonged from a family of architects and engineers and never dreamt of the glamour industry. Her parents always wanted her to pursue an academic career as she was very good in studies. Her father was transferred to San Diego California when she was only two years old and she had to move with her family.
She went to the Lo Jolla High School. As a child, she had a great belief in religion and went to the church every Sunday. When she was in her school, she developed a strong interest towards dancing. She joined the ballet group of her school when she was only seven years old but she could not satisfy her dance instructor. She was told every time that she does not have the right figure which is required for ballet. However, she was very beautiful and when she was only fourteen, she won the title of Miss Photogenic and Miss Contour.
She was also very popular in her high school for her beauty and attitude. She also won the titles of Miss San Diego - The Fairest of the Fair and Miss La Jolla. These beauty contests helped to build up her self confidence. She was also titled as Maid of California as a teenager. In the year 1958, she achieved her high school graduation degree with honours. In the same year, a split took place between her parents. She was highly depressed with this situation and could not get out of it for some months.
She joined the State Diego State College to pursue theatre arts as she wanted to make a career in the glamour industry. She did an early marriage while she was in the university. She was approached for many theatre plays after spending an year in the university. After she finished her university training, she was casted in small supporting roles in the films Roustabout, House Is Not a Home. After this, she appeared in many television series such as The Virginian, Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched and many more. She appeared in a major role in the film A Swingin’ Summer. Her appearance in the science fiction film, Fantastic Voyage in the year 1966, earned her a lot of recognition.
Before appearing in this film, she went through a major crisis in her life as she got divorced with her husband James Welch in the year 1962. After that, she married the renowned producer Patrick Curtis but the couple divorced in the year 1972. In the year 1980, she married André Weinfield. They ended their ten years’ marital relationship with him in the year 1990. She got into a marital relationship with Richard Palmer in the year 1999 but it ended in the year 2008. She has two children, a daughter and a son from her marriage with James Welch.
Last Modified: Mar 8, 2020
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