Bo Derek is a treasured memory for children of the 1970s. She was one of the most stunning bombshells of her era, with her signature blonde hair, flaming blue eyes, and braided hairstyles that dispelled any negative connotations associated with them.
Many people have been curious in her life since her brief period of stardom, like where she ended up, why she quit acting, and what her current circumstances are. Let’s see what Bo is getting up to these days.
The Early Years of Bo Derek
Mary Cathleen Collins was born in Long Beach, California, on November 20, 1956, before she became known as Bo Derek.
Mary was raised by working-class parents in a typical American household. Her father worked as a sales executive, while her mother was a cosmetics artist. Mary had two areas of great interest when she was a teenager.
She was first and foremost an avid horsewoman because she loved horses. She would compete in many events, proudly showcasing her talents. She also cherished acting. To improve those abilities, she decided to take acting classes.
Bo appeared in the movie Orca (1977). In this Jaws-esque film, a massive killer whale was shown biting off her leg. Her actual rise to prominence, meanwhile, was largely attributed to Blake Edwards’ 1979 picture “10.
” It was at this point that her signature blond braided hair started to stand out. She didn’t go on a career of appearing in action-packed, daring movies after this one. Among them were the films “Tarzan, The Ape Man” from 1981, “Bolero” from 1984, and “Ghosts Can’t Do It” from 1990.
When Bo was just 16 years old, she met the director John Derek, who would become her husband. She was wed to Linda Evans at the time. They only started dating a few years later. But since Bo was still a minor, they had to travel to Mexico and Europe to get away from the harsh American laws.
John was 48 years old and Bo Derek was 19 when they were married not long after. Bo claimed in an Interview Magazine interview that she often experienced a pang of guilt when Linda was near.Bo claimed, “I was at least partially to blame for some severe suffering she (Linda Evans) experienced.”
She had been really polite and considerate. Oddly enough, I only saw her yesterday. We were at a charity jewelry trunk exhibition. She remained equally amazing and delightful as before. Being around her makes me feel like sh*t all the time. Years later, it remains deeply engrained.
After then, John and Bo Derek started working together on projects. John would get her to flaunt her physique in order to inject some spice into his low-budget movies. This generated publicity for his films, but primarily for Bo, as he was a household name in Hollywood.
Her Braided Hair Look Was Inspired by John Derek
Although John Derek did not create or direct her most well-known movie, “10,” he did design the braided look. He advised Bo to show Blake some of the pictures he had taken to see if the man liked the way they looked. She definitely did.
It was the end of the 1970s, and since I’m blonde and everything was fluffy, How are you going to change the way you look? John is a fantastic photographer, so I’ve always thought that would be a terrific look for me,” Bo Derek remarked.
”And we gave it a shot. Then he remarked, “Why don’t you show Blake these photos and see if he’ll be interested?” It would be excellent for the role, making you look unique.
Regretfully, cardiovascular illness claimed John Derek’s life in 1998. When he passed away, he was 71 years old. Bo claimed she never thought she would get back connected with anyone following his passing. She was devastated by the loss.
Bo Derek’s early equestrian pursuits appeared to dominate her subsequent celebrity years. Bo chose to step back from acting even though her career was at its height. Rather, she turned into an advocate and crusader for animal welfare. She put up a lot of effort to preserve and safeguard the creatures.
Bo Derek cares about more than just animals. Additionally, she was appointed the National Rehabilitation Special Events chair honorary by the VA.According to Derek, “VA’s National Rehabilitation Special Events promote the healing of body and spirit, which helps veterans enjoy a higher quality of life and improve their independence.”
“To once again serve as the honorary chair of a truly noble cause on behalf of America’s veterans, I am deeply honored and moved.”
Bo is currently wed to “Sex in the City” star John Corbett. They have spent over two decades together. They made the decision to wed in secret, in front of only their closest friends and family, without making any public statements.