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We have some sad news to share today, as Hollywood has lost one of its most legendary icons: Raquel Welch has passed away at the age of 82. Deadline reports that Welch’s passing was confirmed by her reps at Media 4 Management, who simply said that she had died after a brief illness.

Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, but her family moved to San Diego, California when little Raquel was just two years old. She knew as a youngster that she wanted to get into the entertainment industry, and studied ballet for several years while entertaining – and winning – beauty contests. She attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship, but despite doing some stage acting and landing a job as a weather presenter on the local news, it took a while for her to break through into films. In fact, Welch had married...

Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol and icon of the 1960s and 70s has died after a brief illness, according to her management company Media Four. Welch was 82.

Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”

Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.

Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)

Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.

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Legendary actress and iconic 1960s sex symbol Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82.

Welch’s family tells TMZ that the Golden Globe winner died following a brief, undisclosed illness.

Her TV career kicked off in the mid-1960s with guest spots on shows such as The Virginian, McHale’s Navy and Bewitched. That led to one of her first film roles,...