Raquel Welch, unrecognizable at 82 years old. What the sex symbol of the 70s looks like today | Romanians, Stars

Raquel Welch was a Hollywood legend and an idol of the 60s and 70s, when she was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

As incredible as it may seem, Raquel Welch is already 82 years old and completely changed. The star was photographed by paparazzi on the streets of Beverley Hills, dressed in a pair of black trousers, a white blouse and a sun hat. From the photos it can be seen how the actress has gained considerable weight in recent years.

See what Raquel Welch looks like now in the gallery Photo.

Jo Raquel Tejada, given her maiden name, was born on September 5, 1940. Her mother was of English origin, and her father, from Bolivia. The actress’s family was perfect. Her grandfather was a renowned architect, and her cousin, Lidia Guelier Tejada went down in history as the first female president of Bolivia. She held this position for one year (1979 – 1980).

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She was told she didn’t have the “right body” for ballet

Welch studied ballet as a child and trained hard to become a ballerina, but was told by her instructor that she did not have the “right body” for the discipline.

But Welch was successful in other ways. At 14, she won the title of Miss San Diego in a beauty pageant.

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“I was living in my own fantasy. And I was the happiest. We don’t resonate well with reality. I wanted a fairytale life. To be Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, all the beautiful ladies the knights lusted after on their white horses. It’s nothing special, many children thought so. But I decided to do something to turn the dream into reality” – she declared, in 1974, for Rolling Stone, quoted by the foreign press.

She married her high school sweetheart, James Welch, at the young age of 18. They separated in 1961, after their two children were born. Welch and her children—Damon (born 1959) and Tahnee (born 1962)—moved to Texas when their parents divorced in 1961.

Her second husband helped her achieve her dream

But things were not at all what she expected there. Welch had trouble paying his bills. She still intended to see her dream with her own eyes, to become a movie star. So she moved to Hollywood in 1963. There she met her future husband, Patrick Curtis, a press agent. Eventually, Patrick became both her manager and her husband.

Welch’s life was completely changed after meeting Curtis. First, he took her on a marketing trip across Europe to highlight her best features – her voluptuous body and seductive face.

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The effect was amazing. Welch became an overnight celebrity despite her lack of experience as an actress. Curtis then arranged for his wife to appear in several films, including Roustabout (1964), starring Elvis Presley.

Two years later, in 1966, he gained intense public attention after appearing in the American science fiction film Fantastic Voyage.

A year earlier, she had played the role of a cave maiden in “One Million Years BC”.

“I had done another film that was a big step for me (Fantastic Voyage),” she said during an interview with the Sunday Post in 2018.

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“It was supposed to be released before One Million Years BC, but the special effects delayed it.” Welch said.

Even though Welch’s performance as a cave girl in One Million Years BC was legendary, few viewers remember the three sentences she spoke.

Instead, her fur bikini became a true cultural icon.

“I had no credentials as an actress other than that laughable dialogue: ‘I Loana… Tu Tumak.’ I felt like I had walked into a trap – pun intended. I am living proof that a picture is worth a thousand words,” said Welch.

Throughout the 1970s, Welch was a popular movie star. And she even had her own TV show, “Raquel!”, where she performed various musical numbers and hosted celebrities of the time such as Bob Hope, John Wayne and Tom Jones. She also launched her own line of wigs, which proved successful.

Welch’s stereotype of a “hot bombshell” has remained throughout the years.

All relationships with men have failed

On Men’s Health’s list of the 100 Sexiest Women of All Time, she was ranked No. 2 in 2013. Only Jennifer Aniston managed to surpass Welch.

During her lifetime, she married four different men. None of her relationships were very stable.

“I had real feelings for all these men. Back then I thought I was legitimately in love and we could have a great life together, but it wasn’t to be.”

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Welch has been a role model for young diva stars in Hollywood for the past decade.

Kim Kardashian once did a photo shoot wearing a bikini reminiscent of the one worn by Raquel Welch. And during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, model Emily Ratajowski paid tribute to Welch by posing as a “cavewoman.”

Photo – Profimedia, Instagram