Bo Derek

Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins; November 20, 1956) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before deciding to pursue acting on the advice of a talent agent she met through actress Ann-Margret, who was acquainted with her parents. In 1972, she was cast in the romantic drama film Once Upon a Love (1973), which was directed by her first husband John Derek and eventually released as Fantasies in 1981. Her breakthrough performance came in the romantic comedy film 10 (1979), which cemented her status as a sex icon and mainstream celebrity. The role earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress. Derek went on to star in three more films directed by John Derek: Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981), Bolero (1984), and Ghosts Can't Do It (1989), all of which were critically panned. Her other credits include the dramatic-comedy film A Change of Seasons (1980), the American buddy comedy film Tommy Boy (1995), and the American telenovela series Fashion House (2006). Derek has been involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors. For several years, she served as Honorary Chairperson for Veterans Affairs' National Rehabilitation Special Events, which helps disabled veterans overcome their limitations through sports and competition. In 2002, she was appointed to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees by former President George W. Bush. A longtime WildAid ambassador, Derek was named Special Envoy of the Secretary of State for Wildlife Tracking Issues by former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in 2006. In 2008, she was appointed a commissioner of the California Horse Racing Board by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in honor of her many contributions to the betterment of horses, including her position as a spokesperson for the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which she had held since 2003. She was reappointed to the CHRB in 2010 and 2014. Widowed in 1998, Derek began a relationship with actor John Corbett in 2002. They were married in December 2020.

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