Bo Derek reveals why she left the spotlight behind and never looked back
The actress also shared why she chose not to have children, saying she eventually realized she was 'not mother material'
Bo Derek is looking back on a career she never planned, revealing that fame was never her goal and that she's perfectly content leaving Hollywood in the past.
The 69-year-old actress, who became an international sensation after starring as Samantha Taylor in the 1979 romantic comedy 10, said her rise to stardom happened by chance rather than ambition.
Speaking on the Club Random podcast, Derek admitted she never dreamed of becoming an actress and often felt out of place during the height of her fame.
"It was just a whirlwind because I had no aspirations to be in films," she said. "When I did 10, it was just a fluke that I got the part. I had no agent, no manager, no fantasies about being in the movies."
Despite becoming one of the most recognizable faces of her era, Derek said the attention surrounding her beauty left her feeling uncomfortable rather than fulfilled.
"I was just always uncomfortable with my image being all over magazines when I walked down the street," she recalled. "I always felt kind of fake and an imposter at the same time because I didn't work as an actress... like everybody else did to be in movies."
The actress, born Mary Cathleen Collins, acknowledged that many people struggled to understand why she chose to step away from the spotlight.
"It's very strange. People don't understand it," she said. "They would kill to do it, to be famous, to be in movies — not for some of us."
Now living a quieter life in Santa Barbara with husband John Corbett, Derek said retirement has brought her the happiness she was looking for.
"I love retirement. I am so happy in retirement," she said. "I'm not missing anything. I don't miss it. I'm not promoting anything. I'm loving my life. I don't need to go back to work."
Derek also reflected on her decision not to have children, explaining that while she once assumed motherhood would eventually happen, she ultimately realized it wasn't the right path for her.
She noted that her late husband, filmmaker John Derek, did not want more children after already having two from a previous marriage.
"When I thought I wanted it, then I really started sitting down to scheduling and I thought, 'I'm not mother material,'" she said.
Looking back, Derek said the decision felt increasingly clear with time, adding that she puts more thought into adopting a dog than many people do before having a child.
