Raquel Welch, Sex Symbol and ‘60s Star, Dead at 82

Actress Raquel Welch, who rose to fame in the ’60s, has died. She was 82.

TMZ reports that Welch died earlier today following a “brief illness.”

The actress, who had two big breakout roles in 1966 with Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C., found fame as one of the most recognized actresses of the decade, largely thanks to her famous costume: the deerskin bikini she wore in One Million Years B.C.

Welch was born Sept. 5, 1940, and went on to attend San Diego State College, where she acted in local productions, per The New York Post.

Her early roles included TV spots on The Virginian, McHale’s Navy and Bewitched, after which she appeared in The Rogues, Wendy and Me and The Hollywood Palace.

Following her career-defining year in 1966, Welch’s star only continued to rise as she booked roles in Bedazzled, Bandolero, 100 Rifles and 1974’s The Three Musketeers, which earned her  a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for playing Constance de Bonacieux. In 1975, Welch made a cameo on The Cher Show, where she performed “I’m a Woman” with the music superstar.

She went on to appear in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Seinfeld (playing herself), Legally Blonde, CSI: Miami and How to Be a Latin Lover. Her final role on IMDb is listed as Rosa on Date My Dad, a drama she starred on for 10 episodes.

Welch was married four times, according to TMZ. She wed her high school sweetheart, James Welch, in 1959 and welcomed two children with him — Damon and Latanne — before the two split in 1964.

She then married Patrick Curtis in 1967 and split from him in 1972. In 1980, Welch married Andre Weinfeld before the two divorced in 1990. Her marriage to her last husband, Richard Palmer, lasted from 1999 to 2004.