Great mourning for Hollywood star Raquel Welch. The actress died at the age of 82. Her role as cave girl Loana made her an overnight star.
Sometimes less is more. So also in the case of Raquel Welch. The American actress is remembered by her fans primarily as a beauty in short outfits. As her manager confirmed to the German Press Agency, the Hollywood icon died last Wednesday at the age of 82. Welch was born in California, the eldest of three daughters. The daughter of an engineer already wanted to be an actress after graduating from school. However, she initially gave up her acting training after marrying her school friend. The marriage fell apart, however, and as a single mom, Welch headed to Los Angeles with just a few bucks in her pocket.
She wanted to conquer the world in Hollywood. But all beginnings are difficult, and although she even landed a small role alongside the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Elvis Presley in the film “King of Hot Rhythms”, great success was initially lacking. In 1966 she finally got the role that would make her world famous: in the film “A Million Years Before Time” she played the cave girl Loana. With a spear and a fur bikini, she not only knew how to defend herself in the wild, but also impressed the audience with her stunning figure. The costume with cleverly placed fur flaps, which skilfully staged the body of the Hollywood beauty, is legendary today. That’s how Welch became an overnight star.
Raquel Welch became famous for her role as a cave girl
But success can also be a curse. Raquel Welch tried in vain to get rid of the image of the mere sex symbol. She wanted to be more than the cave girl Loana. Although she played alongside Hollywood greats such as James Stewart or Frank Sinatra, she was always denied the really demanding roles. So she was never seen as she wanted to be seen: as an actress with depth.
And she never met the one true love. The beauty from Hollywood married four times – and got divorced four times. However, it did not make her unhappy, as she revealed to journalist Piers Morgan in an interview in 2015. She likes to live alone, she said at the time, and doesn’t need a man by her side. So, while her life has had its ups and downs, Raquel Welch has made a name for herself in Hollywood with a career spanning more than 50 years. Most recently, you could marvel at her acting talent in the 2017 comedy How to be a Latin Lover. Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82 after a short illness.
