Celebrities pay tribute to Raquel Welch following her death at 82

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Viola Davis has remembered Raquel Welch as an “ageless” beauty.

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The Hollywood icon died at the age of 82 on Wednesday following a short illness and now fellow actress Viola has described getting the chance to meet her as a “pleasure” as she led the tributes to the late star.

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She wrote on Instagram: “It was such a pleasure to meet you! You were ageless to me…iconic…. Rest well Raquel Welch!!”

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Other stars to pay tribute to Raquel – who was known for her roles in 1960s movies Fantastic Voyage, Bedazzled and One Million Years B.C. – include the likes of Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell, who noted that she was “the fancy of (his) formative years” as he wished her “safe travels” and Doctor Who star John Barrowman remembered her as “a legend and a stunning woman.”

Meanwhile, Reese Witherspoon who worked alongside her on the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde where Raquel played the character of Mrs. Windham-Vandermark – has remembered her co-star as “glamorous beyond belief.”

She tweeted: “So sad to hear about Raquel Welch’s passing. I loved working with her on Legally Blonde. She was elegant , professional and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home. [bird emoji] Sending love to her family and her many fans.”

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Actress Melissa Joan Hart – who starred in the title role of classic 1990s sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch – was joined by Raquel when she arrived in an early episode of the long-running series to play her carefree aunt who lived in The Pleasure Dome and remembered her as being an “icon” as she sent her well-wishes to her fictional relative.

Alongside screencaps from the season one episode Third Aunt from the Sun, she wrote: “So sad to hear of the passing of a Hollywood legend I had the pleasure to work, my Aunt Vesta #RaquelWelch on #SabrinatheTeenageWitch. From her Hall of Gratuitous Praise, to her bonbons, we had a lot of fun that week on the show and I was given an inside peek at the life of a glamorous icon. Rest well Aunty!”

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Meanwhile, Bridesmaids director Paul Feig – who starred as high school teacher Eugene Poole on the first season of the supernatural sitcom alongside Melissa – remembered Raquel as a “true icon” who was “kind and funny.”

He said: “This is so sad. I had the great pleasure of working with Ms. Welch when I was a regular on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and she was awesome. Kind, funny and a true superstar whom I was pretty much in love with for most of my childhood. We’ve lost a true icon.”

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TV star Lizzie Cundy wrote: “How sad to hear actress Raquel Welch has died. Such a beautiful woman who gained international fame in one of my fave movies Fantastic Voyage. Such an iconic beauty. Rest in peace.”

The Golden Globe winner was also remembered by Muppets character Miss Piggy, who recalled performing a duet with the star on The Muppet Show and credited her with helping her becoming the diva-esque caricature that the world knows today.

A tweet from the official Miss Piggy account read: “Raquel Welch was one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever worked with. Performing a duet with her on The Muppet Show helped moi become the W-O-M-A-N I am today! We’ll never forget vous, Raquel!”

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Raquel is survived by her two children from her first marriage to James Welch – her daughter Tawnee, 61, and her son Damon, 63.