Photos of Raquel Welch’s final public sighting, six months before her death Wednesday at the age of 82, show the “Fantastic Voyage” actress getting a manicure in July 2022.
Welch was snapped heading into the Beverly Hills nails and waxing salon J&J Beauty Lounge, where she was spotted flipping through magazines and, at times, experiencing pain as an employee wearing pink glasses and a blue face mask buffed her fingernails before painting them a light color.
It was a rare sighting of Welch, who has maintained a lower profile in recent years following a prolific acting career.
In the photos, the 1960s sex symbol sports large gold hoop earrings, a white long-sleeve shirt, black pants, black open-toed sandals, and a straw fedora hat, which she took off for the manicure.
An unidentified friend accompanied Welch on the visit, and they held hands outside the salon.
The Post reached out to the beauty lounge for comment Thursday.
Welch’s rep confirmed her death Wednesday in a statement to the Post, saying, “Raquel Welch, the legendary bombshell actress of film, television, and stage, passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”
“The 82-year-old actress burst into Hollywood in her initial roles in [‘One Million Years B.C.’] and ‘Fantastic Voyage.’ Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter, Tahnee Welch.”
A cause of death has not been announced.
Welch appeared in “Bedazzled,” “Myra Breckinridge” and a memorable episode of “Seinfeld” — but it was her turn in “Fantastic Voyage” that launched her career.
The Chicago native won a Golden Globe for her role in the 1973 film “The Three Musketeers” — and she acted in several TV shows, including the ’90s sitcom “Spin City.”
She told The Post in 2013 that one of her favorite gigs was playing Abby Lassiter in the Michael J. Fox comedy.
“I was Richard Kind’s mother,” Welch recalled. “That was the joke. Like, This is your mother? What happened?’ Richard is a genius comedian. All I had to be was straightforward. But I did get to wear this gorgeous Oscar de la Renta outfit.”
Welch credited her work ethic for her success.
“I just have a lot of energy, and I knew I had to use it,” she noted to The Post. “I wanted to be in the performing arts. I didn’t think that reality was all that interesting.”
Welch added: “The real world was fraught with disappointment. I thought it would be so much more fun if you could be dancing and singing. The way that I thought of the movies was a completely different bag of beans than it is today. It was really kind of an art form removed from reality.”
Her final onscreen credits came in 2017. In later years, she launched a successful wig line.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and legendary beauty, Raquel Welch. She worked with us at HairUWear for 25 years and has been more than just a business partner,” Michael Napolitano, president, and CEO of HairUWear, told The Post in a statement Thursday.
“She was and still is an inspiration. We are honored to keep her memory, passion, and timeless beauty alive through her legacy of Raquel Welch Wigs.”
