Jo Raquel Welch (1940 – February 15, 2023) was an American actress and model.

Welch first won attention for her role in Fantastic Voyage (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer Film Productions, for whom she made One Million Years B.C. (1966). Images of her in the doe-skin bikini became bestselling posters that turned her into an international Sex Symbol. She later starred in Bedazzled (1967), Bandolero ! (1968), 100 Rifles (1969), and made several television variety specials and other films..In 1995, Welch was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History". Through her portrayal of strong female characters, which helped in her breaking the mold of the traditional sex symbol, Welch developed a unique film persona that made her an icon of the 1960s and 1970s. Her rise to stardom in the mid-1960s was partly credited with ending Hollywood's vigorous promotion of the blonde bombshell.. Playboy ranked Welch No. 3 on their "100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century" list. She also won a Golden Globe Award 1974. In 1996, Welch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.