Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband

John Derek John Derek (born Derek Delevan Harris; August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and photographer.Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (both 1981); ''

Bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

'' (1984) and ''

Ghosts Can't Do It ''Ghosts Can't Do It'' is a 1989 American romantic crime fantasy comedy film, the last film written and directed by John Derek, and starring Bo Derek with Anthony Quinn. Real estate magnate Donald Trump appears as himself and received a Golden ...

'' (1989), all of which received negative reviews. Widowed in 1998, she married actor John Corbett in 2020.

Early life

Derek was born Mary Cathleen Collins in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. Her father, Paul Collins, was a Hobie Cat executive, and her mother, Norma (née White), was a

make-up Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

artist and hairdresser to

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

. Collins's parents divorced, and her mother remarried, to stunt performer Bobby Bass. She has two sisters and a brother. Collins attended Narbonne High School and George S. Patton Continuation School, both in

Harbor City, California Harbor City is a highly diverse neighborhood in the Harbor region of Los Angeles, California, with a population upward of 36,000 people. Originally part of the Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant, the Harbor City was brought into Los Angeles a ...

. She remarked in a 1985 interview on ''Late Night with David Letterman'':

Career

Acting

While attending Narbonne High School in Los Angeles at age 16 in 1973, Collins auditioned for the female lead in John Derek's '' Fantasies'', a low-budget romantic drama set in Greece. Although Derek had been considering Collins for the part, he felt that her naturally blonde hair was ill-suited to the character, whom he saw as a brunette. He nevertheless offered Collins the role on condition that she dye her hair darker. Collins agreed and was added to the cast. Containing several risqué scenes, including brief nudity, '' Fantasies'' was twice re-edited by Derek in an effort to sell it to major studios. The film remained unreleased until 1981, at which time it received negative notices. During the course of these events, Collins became sexually involved with John Derek, who was 30 years her senior and still married to actress Linda Evans. Upon his divorce from Evans, Derek moved to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

with Collins, where he would not be subject to prosecution under California

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...

laws, because Collins was under the

age of consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally cla ...

. In 1976, the then-19-year-old Collins married John Derek. By this time, she had come to be known professionally as Bo Derek: an amalgam of her former stage name Bo Shane and married name Derek. In 1977, director Michael Anderson cast Derek in a small role in his horror film '' Orca - The Killer Whale'' (1977), in which Derek's character has her leg bitten off by the title character. In 1979, Derek was selected over

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career in the 1970s, appearing in several independent thriller films before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1980s. Born in Manhattan, New York City, ...

, Heather Thomas, Tanya Roberts, and several others for the role of Jenny Hanley in the romantic comedy film '' 10''. Directed by

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

, the film starred

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

as a middle-aged man who finds Derek's character to be the ideal woman; ''i.e''., a perfect 10. Derek's appearance in a dream sequence, running towards Moore in a tight-fitting, nude-colored one-piece swimsuit, launched her status as a mainstream sex symbol. Highlighted by Derek's

cornrow Cornrows are a traditional style of braids in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they ...

hairstyle, the sequence has often been parodied. ''10'' was a critical and financial success. After ''10,'' Derek was cast in '' A Change of Seasons'' (1980), a dramatic-comedy film that featured

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

. Derek played a college student who has an affair with her older, married professor. ''A Change of Seasons'' was only a moderate box-office success, with critics reviewing it and Derek's performance unfavorably ("The only appealing performance is Miss MacLaine's"). In 1980 Derek photographed Bo twice for ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' magazine; she was featured again in the magazine in 1981, 1984, and 1994. Derek appeared in MGM's R-rated '' Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981), her first leading role in a mainstream Hollywood film. Directed by her husband, the film dealt little with

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

and instead focused on Derek's character of Jane Parker, and specifically on Derek's physical attributes. Several scenes of Derek wearing revealing outfits were featured, along with nude scenes of Derek being bathed and body-painted. Prior to the film's release, MGM and the film's distributor,

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, were sued by the

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, ...

estate over the name of the film, as Derek's role and body overshadowed the story of Tarzan. Although the film received negative reviews from many critics, ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' became a box-office success, making over $35 million in ticket sales and becoming the 15th highest-grossing film of 1981. For her performance, Derek shared the

Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress Razzie Award for Worst Actress is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actress of the previous year. Male actors performing in drag are eligible, as it is intended as a humorous award. The following is a list of ...

with

Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France mad ...

, the latter for her starring role as

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

in '' Mommie Dearest''. Derek starred in ''

'' (1984). Again directed by John Derek, the film explored the female protagonist's sexual awakening, and her journey around the world to find an ideal first lover to take her virginity. Its sexual nature, along with its substantial use of nudity, resulted in the film receiving an

X rating An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...

, usually reserved for

pornographic Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

or extremely violent horror films. Critical reviews for ''Bolero'', including Derek's performance, were negative (" o Derekwould be a lot more appealing if she tried less assiduously to please"), and the film failed to recoup its production costs. For her performance in ''Bolero'' Derek won her second Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. The film received other

Golden Raspberry Awards The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

: Worst Picture, Worst Director (John Derek), Worst Screenplay (John Derek), Worst New Star ( Olivia d'Abo), and Worst Musical Score ( Peter Bernstein and

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

). In 1987, Bo Derek teamed up with

Steven Paul Steven Paul (born May 16, 1959) is an American independent filmmaker, actor, and talent manager. He is the chairman, founder and CEO of Crystal Sky Pictures. Life and career Paul was born in New York City. His mother, Dorothy Koster Paul, was ...

of the firm sales agency Paul Entertainment to sell the unreleased feature film, ''A Knight of Love'', which was set to star Bo Derek for screening, but it never came to fruition. After a five-year hiatus Derek returned to feature films with the drama/comedy/fantasy ''

'' (1989). The final collaboration of Derek with her husband as director, ''Ghosts Can't Do It'' was a failure both critically (a "cinematic abomination") and financially. For her performance in ''Ghosts Can't Do It'', during which she delivered such lines as "You have my heart...how can I live without my heart," Derek won her third Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. The film also won Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture, Worst Director (John Derek), and Worst Supporting Actor (

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

Following ''Ghosts Can’t Do It'' Derek returned to acting in the television movies ''Hot Chocolate'' (1992) and ''Shattered Image'' (1994), and the straight-to-video film '' Woman of Desire'' (1994). For her performance in the 1995 comedy film ''

Tommy Boy ''Tommy Boy'' is a 1995 American buddy adventure comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Bonnie and Terry Turner, produced by Lorne Michaels, and starring former ''Saturday Night Live'' castmates and close friends Chris Farley and David ...

'', Derek was nominated for a

Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress The Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress is an award presented annually at the Golden Raspberry Awards (or "Razzies") to the worst supporting actress of the previous year. Nominees and winners are voted on by the Golden Raspberry F ...

but ultimately lost to

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

for the latter's performance in ''

Four Rooms ''Four Rooms'' is a 1995 American anthology farce black comedy film co-written and co-directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, loosely based on the adult short fiction writings of Roald Dahl. The ...

''. In 1998, Derek guest-starred on four episodes of ''Wind on Water.'' In 1999, she appeared on ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalize ...

'', and in the early 2000s, she had guest roles on the shows ''

Family Law Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Overview Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include: * Marriage ...

'', '' Queen of Swords'', '' Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place,'' '' Lucky'', '' Still Standing'', and '' 7th Heaven''. At the

20th Golden Raspberry Awards The 20th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 25, 2000 at the Sheraton Hotel in Santa Monica, California to recognize the worst the film industry had to offer in 1999. Included with the normal Golden Raspberry categories to mark the dawn ...

in 2000, Derek was nominated for Worst Actress of the Century, sharing the nomination with Madonna (the eventual winner),

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film '' Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

Elizabeth Berkley Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series '' Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role ...

, and

Pia Zadora Pia Zadora (born Pia Alfreda Schipani, May 4, 1954) is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' (1964), she came to national attention ...

. Derek appeared in several more feature films during the 2000s, including ''

Frozen with Fear ''Frozen with Fear'' is a 2000 Canadian crime/mystery film starring Bo Derek, Stephen Shellen and Wayne Rogers. The picture was filmed in and around Fredericton, New Brunswick.Andrew Hempstead, ''Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island ...

'' (2000), ''

The Master of Disguise ''The Master of Disguise'' is a 2002 American adventure comedy film directed by Perry Andelin Blake in his directorial debut, written by Dana Carvey and Harris Goldberg, and starring Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould and Ja ...

'' (2002), for which she received her second Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress nomination, and ''

Malibu's Most Wanted ''Malibu's Most Wanted'' is a 2003 American comedy film written by and starring Jamie Kennedy and co-starring Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Regina Hall, Damien Dante Wayans, Ryan O'Neal, and Snoop Dogg. The film is written by t ...

'' (2003). In 2006 Derek starred in 40 episodes of the 65-episode

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

series ''

Fashion House Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer create ...

''. Derek made an appearance in CSI Miami in 2012. Derek had a featured role in the 2015 made-for-TV campy horror film '' Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!''. Derek was reported to have participated in the 2016 Comedy Central

roast Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...

but is absent from the eventual cast list.

Politics

Derek, who describes herself as

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

, supported George H. W. Bush in 1988 and 1992, and campaigned for his son George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, and she appeared at both Republican conventions. She voted for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

in 2008. She has appeared at events with Republican Congressman

David Dreier David Timothy Dreier OAE (/ draɪər/; born July 5, 1952) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California from 1981 to 2013. He was one ...

of Southern California. When White House Chief of Staff

Josh Bolten Joshua Brewster Bolten (born August 16, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician. Bolten served as the White House Chief of Staff to U.S. President George W. Bush, replacing Andrew Card on April 14, 2006. Previously, he served as the Director o ...

was asked about his relationship with Derek on the edition of April 30, 2006, of ''

Fox News Sunday ''Fox News Sunday'' is a Sunday morning talk show that has aired on the broadcast Fox network since 1996, as a presentation of Fox News Channel. It is the only regularly scheduled Fox News program carried on the main Fox broadcast network. Ho ...

'' with Chris Wallace, Bolten said she was a friend and a "strong supporter of the President". In 2006, she was appointed to the board of trustees of the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

by President George W. Bush, on the operations committee. In 2012 Derek endorsed

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

for president. In a 2020 interview with ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', when asked who she was supporting in the election, Derek explained "I don’t talk about who I vote for anymore. I supported Bush 43 and I became one of the poster girls for the Republicans. But I’m an independent. I don’t want to be pigeonholed and labeled as one thing or another." In the same interview, Derek also spoke highly of President

, recounting his cameo in 1989's ''

'', indicating that a scene featuring Trump was written specifically for him and "he was great."

Personal life

Horse owner and activist

A horse lover and riding enthusiast since childhood, Derek owns

Andalusian horse The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Spanish language literally translates to “Spanish pure breed”. This name is sometimes capitalized when used in English-language publications, but is all lower-case in Spanish, wh ...

s and is a spokesperson for the

Animal Welfare Institute The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is an American non-profit charitable organization founded by Christine Stevens in 1951 with the goal of reducing suffering inflicted on animals by humans. It is one of the oldest animal welfare organizations i ...

's campaign to end horse slaughter through passage of federal and state legislation. On February 5, 2002, she published her autobiography entitled ''Riding Lessons: Everything That Matters in Life I Learned from Horses'' (). She serves on the California Horse Racing Board.

Wounded veterans advocate

Derek is a national honorary chairperson for

Veterans Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...

' National Rehabilitation Special Events. She attended the 17th annual Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in

Snowmass Village, Colorado Snowmass Village is a home rule municipality in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,826 at the 2010 census. A popular winter resort location for skiing and snowboarding, the town is well known as the location of the ...

. In 2003, she received the VA's highest honor from Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi. Derek makes appearances on

United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

tours. The

Special Forces Association The Special Forces Association (SFA) is a non-profit fraternal organization for current and retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, also known as "Green Berets." Established in 1964, the association is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with ...

named her an honorary

Green Beret The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...

. Derek's father, Paul Collins, was a radio operator during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

. Her stepfather Bobby Bass, and her late husband, John Derek, were military veterans.

Wild Aid

Derek has been active for 18 years with the environmental agency

WildAid WildAid is an environmental organization based in San Francisco, California, United States. WildAid focuses on reducing the demand for wildlife products. WildAid works with Asian and Western celebrities and business leaders to dissuade people fr ...

which provides funds to protect sharks and dissuade people from purchasing wildlife products. On August 13, 2020, she was a guest on the Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

Relationships

After Bo began a relationship with John Derek when she was 16, they moved to Germany, where John would not be subject to prosecution under California

laws. They returned to the United States soon after Bo's 18th birthday. They wed in 1976 and remained married until his death from heart failure in 1998. Since 2002, she has been in a relationship with actor John Corbett, with whom she lives on a ranch in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning " Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West ...

. They married in December 2020.

Acting credits

Film

Television

Production credits

Film

References

External links

*
Interview with Bo Derek
{{DEFAULTSORT:Derek, Bo 1956 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Long Beach, California American film actresses American television actresses