Bo Derek Admits She Was Never Mother Material Despite Trying
"I kept waiting for my life to slow down. It never slowed down. And when I thought I wanted it, then I really started sitting down to scheduling and I thought I'm not mother material. My husband certainly isn't father material. He was the most judgmental oddball."
About this episode
Bill Maher sits down with actress Bo Derek for a wide-ranging conversation covering Hollywood history, personal choices, and controversial political topics. Derek, who became a global sex symbol after starring in the 1979 film 10, reveals she has largely avoided public appearances and hasn't made a major motion picture in years, making this rare interview particularly notable. The conversation opens with Derek sharing insider Hollywood stories, including Marlon Brando's inability to remember whether he slept with actress Ursula Andress when writing his autobiography, and her own decision at 17 to marry director John Derek, who was 46 at the time. Derek candidly discusses her choice not to have children, explaining she realized in her 30s that neither she nor her husband were parent material. Maher shares his parallel experience remaining unmarried and childless at 70, with both reflecting on aging, mortality, and the pressures of Hollywood expectations. The discussion shifts to contentious political territory as Maher criticizes the Barbie movie for falsely depicting an all-male Mattel boardroom when the real company has equal gender representation, arguing it perpetuates a false patriarchy narrative. He also challenges COVID vaccine mandates for people with natural immunity, claiming pharmaceutical interests overrode established science. Derek discusses her animal rights activism, including work as a PETA board member and her efforts on horse welfare issues, revealing she served as a California racing commissioner for seven years under Arnold Schwarzenegger. The conversation touches on the drug war, with both advocating for decriminalization, and concludes with reflections on retirement, happiness, and living in California despite its political challenges.
Key takeaways
- Bo Derek reveals Marlon Brando called Ursula Andress while writing his autobiography because he couldn't remember if they had sex, illustrating his legendary womanizing.
- Bill Maher attacks the Barbie movie for depicting an all-male Mattel boardroom when the actual company board is split evenly between men and women, calling it a deliberate lie.
- Derek candidly admits she realized in her 30s she was not mother material and describes her late husband John Derek as a judgmental oddball unsuited for fatherhood.
- Maher criticizes COVID vaccine mandates for people with natural immunity, arguing settled science was ignored in favor of pharmaceutical profit motives.
- Derek discusses her animal rights work including serving seven years as a California racing commissioner under Arnold Schwarzenegger to improve horse welfare.
- Both Maher and Derek, unmarried and childless at 70 and 68 respectively, reflect on their choices and express satisfaction with lives focused on personal fulfillment over traditional expectations.
- The pair advocate for drug decriminalization, with Maher arguing prohibition created the mafia and the continued illegality enriches cartels while devastating Latin American countries.