Welch first gained attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage , after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. Although Welch had only three lines of dialogue in the film, images of her in the doe-skin bikini became bestselling posters that turned her into an international sex symbol. She later starred in Bedazzled , Bandolero! She made several television variety specials. Through her portrayal of strong female characters , helping her break the mold of the traditional sex symbol, Welch developed a unique film persona that made her an icon of the s and s.
Her rise to stardom in the mids was partly credited with ending Hollywood's vigorous promotion of the blonde bombshell. Her final film was How to Be a Latin Lover Playboy ranked Welch No. Welch was raised in the Presbyterian religion and attended Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church every Sunday with her family.
She began studying ballet at age seven, but after ten years of study, she left the art at seventeen when her instructor told her she did not have the right body type for professional ballet companies. Welch graduated with honors from high school in She assumed his last name and kept it throughout her life.
After her separation from James Welch, she moved with her two children to Dallas , Texas, where she made a "precarious living" as a model for Neiman Marcus and as a cocktail waitress. Welch initially intended to move to New York City from Dallas, but moved back to Los Angeles in and started applying for roles with film studios.
She also landed small roles on the television series Bewitched , McHale's Navy and The Virginian and appeared on the weekly variety series The Hollywood Palace as a billboard girl and presenter. She was one of many actresses who auditioned for the role of Mary Ann Summers on the television series Gilligan's Island. Welch's first featured role was in the beach film A Swingin' Summer They thought "Raquel" would be hard to pronounce.
