| Bo Derek |
|
| Born |
Mary Cathleen Collins
November 20, 1956 (1956-11-20) (age 52)
Long Beach, California |
| Occupation |
actress, producer |
| Years active |
1977 - present |
| Spouse(s) |
John Derek (1976-1998) |
|
|
Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins on November 20, 1956, Long Beach, California, U.S.) is a Golden Globe-nominated American film actress and model.
Early life
Derek is of Irish, German, Dutch and Welsh descent. Her father is Paul Collins, a Hobie Cat executive. Her mother is Norma Collins, hairdresser to Ann-Margret. In addition to Derek, they had one son, Colin Bass (born Colin Collins), bassist of the progrock band Camel, and two other daughters. After the parents divorced, Norma Collins married American stunt performer Bobby Bass.12
Derek attended Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California. Derek then attended George S. Patton Continuation school which is adjacent to Narbonne.
Derek started modeling to pay for a new surf board, and after a few shoots and a deodorant advertisement found she had a knack for performance. She got herself a Hollywood agent, and on the audition trail met director John Derek, 30 years her senior. John filed for divorce from his wife, actress Linda Evans, and the pair moved to Germany to avoid John being charged with statutory rape under U.S. law due to Bo only being 16. The couple returned to America soon after Bo's 18th birthday, and married in 1976.3 They remained married until his death in 1998.
Career
Acting
Derek turned down a role in the film King Kong in (1976),4 making her first on screen performance in 1977's Orca: the Killer Whale, in which her character's leg was bitten off when the whale attacked her home on a pier.
Derek first came to prominence when she co-starred in the 1979 Blake Edwards film 10, in which Dudley Moore's character is torn between his love for Julie Andrews and his fascination with Derek. Her appearance shot her to instant stardom and status as a sex symbol. Her beaded and plaited cornrow hairstyle in the film was widely copied and became eponymous. As a result of the film, Bo received a Golden Globe nomination for new star of the year, but lost out to Bette Midler for The Rose.
Some of Bo Derek's subsequent films were not well-received by either the public or critics. For the 1981 film Tarzan, the Ape Man, the producers of the film were actually sued by the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate over the name of the film, as Derek's role and physique seemed to overshadow the focus on Tarzan himself. She followed this film with the sexually charged Bolero and a subsequent role in her husband's production Ghosts Can't Do It.
She made the first of many appearances in Playboy, starting with the March 1980 issue. Her first pictorial (among others) was photographed by then husband John, on a secluded beach along an unnamed area of the Colorado River. The twelve page spread featured a few with her and her pet greyhound together jogging and sunbathing, as well as her sailing and swimming in the river, all nude. She also made the cover (in a bikini).
She has the dubious honor of winning three Golden Raspberry Worst Actress Awards for Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981), Bolero (1984) and Ghosts Can't Do It (1990), and was nominated in 2000 as the "Worst Actress of the Century". However, she subsequently made a respectable showing as Jamie Kennedy's mom and Ryan O'Neal's wife in Malibu's Most Wanted (2003). In addition, she can be seen on TV in Fashion House playing one of the main characters, notorious fashion designer Maria Gianni. Derek was a judge at the 2006 Miss Universe pageant.
Political
Derek is a conservative Republican who 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. Derek has also appeared at public events with Republican Congressman David Dreier of Southern California 5
When White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten was asked about the nature of his relationship with Bo Derek on the April 30, 2006 edition of Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Bolten identified Derek as a "friend" and as a "strong supporter of the President."
In 2006, Bo Derek was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by President George W. Bush, serving on the Operations Committee.6
Personal life
Relationships
Since John Derek's death, she has been romantically linked by various tabloids to various men. 7. She is currently in a relationship with actor John Corbett.8
Horse owner/activist
A horse lover and riding enthusiast since childhood, she is the owner of Iberian horses and is a Spokesperson for the Animal Welfare Institute's national campaign to end horse slaughter through passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. On February 5, 2002, she published her autobiography entitled Riding Lessons, Everything that matters in life I learned from horses (ISBN 0-060-39437-4).
Formula One fan
Bo was spotted with F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone in the Pit Lane at the 2007 Formula One Turkish Grand Prix and was interviewed by Peter Windsor to whom she spoke of her love of Formula One racing.
Wounded veterans advocate
Bo Derek routinely visits hospitalized veterans. She is National Honorary Chairperson for Veterans Administration's National Rehabilitation Special Events. Derek attended the 17th annual Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic held in Snowmass Village at Aspen, Colorado. In 2003, Derek was presented with the VA's highest honor by Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, Anthony Principi. Derek also goes on USO tours. The Special Forces Association named her an honorary Green Beret.9
Derek's father, Paul Collins, was a radio operator during the Korean War, and both her stepfather and her late husband, John Derek, were also veterans.
Credits
Acting
Producer
Crew
Albums
References
External links
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