Raquel Welch, Iconic ‘sex symbol’ actress DEAD at 82

Raquel Welch is dead.

Raquel Welch, an American actress and global sex icon, passed away at the age of 82 after a brief illness, according to a TMZ report.

In 1966, Welch gained widespread recognition for her appearances in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C.

Although she didn't say much in One Million Years BC, her deerskin bikini solidified her status as a sex icon.

Welch's career took off after that, making her one of the most in-demand female performers during the 1960s and 1970s. She also won many awards along the way, including a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her part in "The Three Musketeers" in 1974.

Welch was voted #3 in Playboy's list of the "100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century" and was selected one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in an issue of Empire magazine in 1995.

She also performed "I'm a Woman" with Cher on "The Cher Show" in 1975.

Raquel had two children, Tahnee and Damon Welch, from her four marriages to James Welch (1959–1964), Patrick Curtis (1967–1972), Andre Weinfeld (1980–1990), and Richard Palmer (1999–2004).

Welch, born on September 5, 1940, developed a passion for acting at a young age by competing in ballet and beauty pageants. She received a theatre arts scholarship to attend San Diego State College and appeared in numerous regional theatrical plays.

“My first day on set, Faye Dunaway comes over to me all dolled up, and she was so cute. She said, ‘Darling, I just want you to know, I’m a big fan of yours. But don’t you know, they’re all just waiting for us to tear each other’s eyes out. So let’s have fun with them,'” Welch told The Post in 2012.