Bo Derek - Career - Acting

Acting

In 1972, at age 16, she began romancing John Derek, a married man 30 years her senior. Not long after the two started dating, John divorced his wife, actress Linda Evans, and he and a young Cathleen moved to Germany so that John would not be subject to the American statutory rape law due to Cathleen's young age. They returned to the United States when Cathleen was 18 and they married in 1976.

During 1973, while overseas in Germany, John began to pursue making a film starring the young Cathleen. Entitled Fantasies, the film would be a low-budgeted English language romantic drama that cast her alongside several unknown German actors and actresses. In an effort to capitalize on his young protégé's good looks, John had several risqué scenes worked into the film. These scenes showcased the young unknown beauty in scandalous outfits as well as some brief nudity.

Due to the fierce controversy that surrounded Fantasies, Derek had it re-edited twice before trying to sell it to studios. Under the Pre-Code laws, the film was considered too risqué for a theatrical release. The film went unreleased until the changing times allowed it to be released theatrically in 1981 when Derek had already achieved a sex symbol status. Some disbelieved that it was the then famous Bo Derek starring in the film because the lead actress was a brunette and billed as "Kathleen Collins".

By 1976, John Derek had given his wife a so-called Hollywood makeover. She had bleached her hair blonde and was now going by the moniker Bo Derek. In 1977, the newly advanced Bo Derek caught the eye of director Michael Anderson and was cast in a small role in Anderson's upcoming horror flick, Orca (1977), which was Anderson's answer to major success of Jaws. The film received only a minor theatrical release in July 1977 and was an ultimate box office disappointment. It has, however, obtained a cult following over the years.

In 1979, Derek beat out Melanie Griffith, Heather Thomas, and several others hopefuls for the role of Jenny Hanley in the romantic comedy film 10. Directed by Blake Edwards the film starred Dudley Moore, as a middle aged man who finds Derek's character to be the ideal woman for him, though he is also in love with an older woman, played by Julie Andrews. Derek's presence in a dream sequence racing towards Moore in a flimsy flesh-colored swimsuit became iconic and launched her status as a mainstream sex goddess. This sequence and Derek’s cornrow hairstyle in the film have often been parodied. 10 became a critical and financial blockbuster at the box office.

After 10, Derek was immediately cast in A Change of Seasons (1980), a dramedy film, alongside Shirley MacLaine and Anthony Hopkins. The film cast Derek as a young college student who has an affair with her older, married professor. Critics gave unfavorable reviews of A Change of Seasons and it became only a moderate box office success.

She followed with MGM's R-rated Tarzan, the Ape Man in 1981. Directed by husband John Derek, the film dealt very little on the title character of Tarzan but instead focused more on Derek's character of Jane Parker. The film gave Derek her first official leading role in a mainstream Hollywood film. Due to its strong dwelling on the role of Jane, the film was originally going to be entitled Me, Jane, Jane and Tarzan, or Searching for Tarzan. Filming took place on location in Africa on a moderate budget of $6.5 million.

John Derek again wanted to showcase the physique of his wife and required her to wear risqué and controversial outfits for several scenes. In one scene Bo even went completely nude while several African women were bathing her and later while they were painting her white. Before the film was released John Derek and MGM were 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. The film was trashed by critics, especially the performance given by Bo. At the ceremony on March 31, 1981, Derek (along with Faye Dunaway for Mommie Dearest) won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. Tarzan, the Ape Man did, however, become a box office success, making over $35 million in ticket sales, and becoming the 15th highest-grossing film of 1981.

In August 1980, Derek made her first appearance in Playboy magazine. She would again pose in September 1981. By the early 1980s, Derek's film career had began to crumble. Between 1981 and 1983, Derek had no film offers. She did, however, make frequent public appearances, in addition to magazine covers and television shows. In 1984, she returned to the big screen with Bolero, which would again be directed by her husband John. The film centers on the protagonist's sexual awakening and her journey around the world to pursue an ideal first lover who will take her virginity. The sexual nature of the film, along with substantial nude and inappropriate content, eventually lead to the film being given an X-rating, a rating usually only given to pornographic films.

Reviews for Bolero were harsh upon its August 1984 release and the film failed to recoup its production costs at the box office. Derek's performance of the young, sexually inexperienced female lead was given the worst reviews, and on March 24, 1985, she once again won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. Bolero also won other Raspberry awards, including "Worst Director", "Worst Screenplay", "Worst Picture", "Worst New Star", and "Worst Musical Score". The film was originally called Derek's worst screen performance, but has since become her second most popular film appearance behind 10.

After a five year hiatus from films, Derek returned to motion pictures with the dramedy-fantasy Ghosts Can't Do It, which was filmed and released on video in foreign countries in 1989, but didn't receive a theatrical release in the United States until June 1990. It would prove to be the final teaming of Bo as lead actress and her husband John as director. The film was John Derek's imitation of the fantasy film Ghost, which was released the same year and garnered tremendous critical and financial success. Derek won another "Worst Actress" award for her performance, and the film also won "Worst Picture", "Worst Director", and "Worst Supporting Actor" awards. Ghost Can't Do It was not favored among critics either and became a box office failure.

Upon the release of Ghosts Can’t Do It, Derek and husband John took a break from acting due to John's declining health. Bo would return to acting with the 1992 television movie Hot Chocolate, which was followed by Shattered Image in 1994, another television film. She returned to theatrical films with the 1994 R-rated romance Woman of Desire. The film co-starred film legend Robert Mitchum and received only a minor theatrical release. Due to its lack of publicity, the studio released the film on VHS the same day it premiered in theaters. The film received little to no attention from critics, but has since become one of Derek's most remembered and in demand films due to its sexual nature and nudity scenes.

In 1995, she appeared in the comedy film Tommy Boy that starred Chris Farley and David Spade. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but became a financial success nevertheless. Derek was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress, but lost to Madonna for Four Rooms. In 1998, her 22-year marriage to John Derek ended after his sudden death. Later that year she guest starred on four episodes of Wind on Water, and in 1999, appeared on The Drew Carey Show.

In the early 2000s, Derek appeared in guest roles on the shows Family Law, Queen of Swords, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Lucky, Still Standing, and 7th Heaven. She also appeared in the films Sunstorm, Frozen with Fear and Horror 101 in 2001, followed by Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), and Life in the Balance (2004).

On March 25, 2000 at the 20th Golden Raspberry Awards, Derek was nominated for "Worst Actress of the Century". She shared this nomination with Madonna, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Berkley, and Pia Zadora. Eventually, Madonna won the award for her several past film failures. In 2006, Derek starred in 40 episodes of the 65 episode telenovela series Fashion House, along with Morgan Fairchild. The series has become iconic because of its hair pulling, eye scratching catfights instead of its romantic drama storylines.

In 2011, Derek appeared in the television movie The Hunt for the I-5 Killer and guest starred on a critically acclaimed episode of the popular crime drama series CSI: Miami. As of 2012, Derek had completed a role in the to-be-released Highland Park.