One of the known facts about Raquel Welch, the legendary American actress who passed away on February 15, 2023, is that she had a son named Damon Welch.
Damon was also an actor, just like his mother, but starred in films such as J-Men Forever and Intimate Portrait for a very brief period. However, he elected to leave the show business and pursue a career as a computer consultant, settling in Texas.
His reasons for leaving TV production are best known to him. However, many would speculate that the death of his mother might have had a hand in it.
Since then, Damon has kept a low profile and avoided media attention, but he is still recognized as the firstborn of Raquel Welch.
Even though he had left a goldmine, Damon has found his way around the cutthroat society he’s found himself in, applying dedicated efforts to his craft. He has been able to upscale his financial worth beyond expectation.
Net Worth
As of 2024, Damon Welch has been estimated to be worth around $100,000. As the son of a famed Hollywood actress, his mother firmly dug up his foundation in the theatrical sphere. Following in her footsteps, Damon featured in a handful of movies.
His presence onscreen has been one of the biggest enablers for his financial growth. Second to that is his expertise in IT and investments.
Career Timeline
Damon Welch has had an interesting and varied career of his own. From acting to IT, he has explored different fields and developing his skills along the way,
Born in 1959 to Raquel Welch and her first husband, James Welch, a publicist and agent. Damon grew up in Los Angeles amidst the peak of his mother’s illustrious career in Hollywood.
Influenced by Rachel, Damon began developing a passion for acting early. He would eventually get his first taste of the big screen in 1979 when he played a minor role in The Day the Earth Got Stoned, a comedy film directed by Richard Patterson.
The film was a spoof of disaster movies and featured Damon as one of the hippies who accidentally caused a nuclear meltdown.
In 1984, Damon had another opportunity to work with his mother, who was by then a global icon of beauty and fitness. He appeared in Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness, a video series that showcased his mother’s exercise routines and beauty secrets. Damon demonstrated some of the exercises alongside his mother, giving some tips on nutrition and lifestyle.
Damon continued to pursue his acting career throughout the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in various TV shows and movies, mostly in supporting roles. He also starred in Intimate Portrait, a documentary series that aired in 1990 and focused on his mother’s life story and achievements. The series featured interviews with Damon, his mother, and other celebrities who knew her well.
It was, however, in the early 2000s that Damon decided to switch careers and pursue his interest in technology.
He enrolled in a computer science program at California State University, Northridge, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2005. He then landed a job as an administrator for information systems at J&B Asset Management, a financial services company based in Los Angeles. He worked there for nine years, managing the company’s IT infrastructure and security.
In 2010, Damon moved to Little Elm, Texas, where he currently lives with his family. He works as a computer and network administrator professional for various clients in the area. He is also involved in some charitable causes, such as supporting veterans and animal welfare organizations.
Damon Welch has followed his passions and talents throughout his life. Living outside the famous lineage of his family, he had lived to be defined by his own labor and not by inheritance. He has carved his own path and achieved success in different domains. He is a Hollywood star’s son, but he is also much more than that.
Filmography
Damon Welch was a minor actor who appeared in a handful of films before leaving the industry. His filmography consists of only three titles, but each one has a story behind it. Here is a brief overview of his acting career and the movies he was involved in.
The Day the Earth Got Stoned (1979): This was a comedy film directed by Richard Patterson. The plot revolves around a group of hippies who accidentally cause a nuclear war and have to deal with the aftermath.
Damon Welch played a production assistant named Damon Curtis, who was his real name at the time. He later changed it to Welch, his mother’s maiden name, to avoid confusion with another actor named Curtis.
Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness (1984): This was a video series featuring his mother, Raquel Welch, who was a famous actress and sex symbol in the 1960s and 1970s.
The series consisted of six episodes, each focusing on a different aspect of fitness and beauty, such as diet, exercise, makeup, hair, and skincare.
Damon Welch was a production associate for the series, which meant he helped with the logistics and coordination of the filming. He also appeared briefly in some of the segments, such as jogging with his mother or demonstrating some exercises.
The Beloved (1971): This was a drama film directed by George P. Cosmatos, who later directed Rambo: First Blood Part II and Tombstone. The film was set in Cyprus during the 1950s when the island was torn by ethnic conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
The film trails behind the forbidden romance between a Greek woman and a Turkish man, played by Raquel Welch and Richard Johnson. Damon Welch played Yanni, the son of the Greek woman, as a boy in a flashback scene. However, he was not credited for his role.