In the 1970s, Bo Derek was known across the globe as one of the sexiest women in Hollywood. Her iconic running scene in the 1979 movie 10 was no doubt the fantasy of numerous men. Blonde and curvy, Derek knew exactly what her assets were and she put them to good use. With her beauty and body, she conquered Hollywood in the 70s as a sex symbol.
Now at the age of 58, Derek opens up on her personal struggles with aging. In her latest interview with CBS News , the former sex symbol admitted that “aging is really hard.” She said, “it’s tough. Bette Davis was right; it’s not for sissies, it really isn’t.”
She also talked of her thoughts regarding plastic surgery. While most Hollywood stars her age are opting for plastic surgery to conceal signs of aging, Derek revealed that she tries “not to think about it.” She explained.
“There is a certain expectation. I get credit on one hand for not having had a facelift, and then on the other hand it’s, ‘Oh my God, why doesn’t she do something?’ So you’re just torn. I just have to keep busy, have other interests, and try not to think about it.”
In the early 80s, Derek established her image as a sex symbol by frequently taking her clothes off on film. For two consecutive years in 1980 and 1981, she posed nude for the reputed magazine Playboy . She then starred in 1981’s 15 th largest grossing film Tarzan the Ape Man . According to several critics, the success of said movie can be attributed to Derek’s numerous nude scenes.
Furthermore, her husband John Derek directed most of her films, including the 1985 film Bolero, which received an X-rating from movie authorities. The controversial movie featured the actress as a virgin who traveled across the world in search of a lover.
Having gone through all these experiences, Derek confessed that she “objectified” herself.
“I created my own posters, I made my own movies. I produced them. Maybe I could’ve gone out to prove, ‘Oh, I’m a real actress, I’m not a physical being.’ But I pretty much exploited myself, too, at the same time.”
Despite Derek’s confessions about struggling with aging, there are still many who think that she has aged gracefully. In a recent article about the former sex symbol, Yahoo! Beauty wrote, “Whatever she has been doing, is keeping her looking as gorgeous as ever.”
. @boderek ? dishes on the pressure for older women to get plastic surgery in Hollywood: http://t.co/FazW0nn7Qa pic.twitter.com/tRWgx1FDrh
— Closer Weekly (@closerweekly) May 12, 2015
Moreover, Derek is making a comeback on the big screen in the upcoming film Sharknado 3 . In the film, she plays the mother of Tara Reid’s character.
[Image via Getty Images]
