Acting Breakthrough

Raquel moved to Dallas, Texas with her two children in 1960 and earned money by modelling for clothing store Neiman Marcus and working as a cocktail waitress.

She returned to California three years later in a bid to become an actress and landed cameo roles in the films 'A House Is Not A Home' and 'Roustabout' – a musical that starred Elvis Presley.

Movie chiefs had asked the star to change her name as they feared Raquel would be too difficult to pronounce but she rejected the requests.

In 1966, Raquel was cast in a leading role in the sci-fi movie 'Fantastic Voyage' as a member of a medical team who is shrunk and injected into the body of a diplomat with the task of saving his life. The movie was a success and helped make Welch a star.