Bo Derek
Derek in 2013, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Mary Cathleen Collins
Place of Birth: Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: November 20, 1956
Ethnicity: English, Irish, German, Dutch, Welsh, distant French Huguenot
Bo Derek is an American actress, model, and producer. She is known for her roles in the films Orca, 10, Tarzan, the Ape Man, Bolero, and Tommy Boy.
She is the daughter of Norma, a make-up artist and hairdresser, and Paul Collins, an executive at Hobie Cat. Her stepfather, Bobby Bass, was an actor, stunt performer, and stunt coordinator/second unit director. Bo is married to actor John Corbett. She was previously married to actor, director, and photographer John Derek, until his death.
Bo descends from the French Huguenot Bodine family.
Bo’s paternal grandfather was Paul Clark Collins (the son of Walter Collins and Tinnie Elizabeth Bodine). Paul was born in Illinois. Walter was the son of Elijah Collins and Sarah M. Downer. Tinnie was the daughter of George Washington Bodine and Sarah Elizabeth Quinn.
Bo’s paternal grandmother was Mary Elizabeth Johnson (the daughter of Arch Johnson and Jessie May Harrison). Mary Elizabeth was born in Illinois. Arch was born in Kentucky. Jessie was born in Tennessee, the daughter of Jesse Joyner Harrison and Bettie Mary Roberts.
Bo’s maternal grandfather was Richard White (the son of John Q. White and Ada Mabel/Mattie Clayton). Richard was born in Illinois. John was the son of Richard M. White and Lutisha/Latisha Reeves. Mattie was the daughter of Ishmael Clayton and Adaline Lillian Zinn.
Bo’s maternal grandmother was Elsie Anne/Jean Middlecoff (the daughter of George Middlecoff and Mary Nobbe). Elsie was born in Illinois, to parents who were also born there. George was the son of Emily. Mary was the daughter of German parents, Casper Heinrich Nobbe and Anne Margarethe Kammermann.
Source: Genealogy of Bo Derek – https://gw.geneanet.org
Could you please add: “distant French Huguenot”? Bo Derek’s Bodine branch is traced back to the couple Jean Bodine (born in Béthune, France) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bodine-905 and Hester Bridon (born in Le Port-des-Barques, France) https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bridon-4. The surname Bodine is also a very typical Huguenot name from that era. Thanks!
Bo’s paternal grandmother Mary Elizabeth Johnson familysearch page. Mary Elizabeth Johnson Parents were Arch Johnson born in Kentucky and Jessie May Harrison born in Tennessee. Jessie May Harrison Parents were Jesse Joyner Harrison and Bettie Mary Roberts both born in Tennessee.
Also Bo’s maternal grandparents Richard White and Elsie Anne Middlecoff familysearch page. Richard White Mom Mattie C. Davis real full name is was Ada Mabel “Mattie” Clayton the surname Davis came from her 1st husband. Ada Mabel “Mattie” Clayton Parents were Ishmael Clayton born in West Virginia and Adaline Lillian Zinn born in Virginia.
Bo’s maternal grandmother Elsie Anne Middlecoff parents were George Middlecoff and Mary Nobbe both born in Illinois. Mary Nobbe Parents were Casper Heinrich Nobbe and Anne Margarethe Kammermann both born in Germany
Well done!
Her real name is fine, don’t understand why she goes by this terrible stage name…
I found some additional details regarding Bo Derek’s paternal grandmother’s lineage (the Bodine branch). Her ancestor Jean Bodine was a French Huguenot born on May 9, 1645, in Béthune, Pas-de-Calais, France. He later fled religious persecution and moved to the American colonies, where he married Marie Crocheron in 1680 in Flatbush, Kings Co., NY. This confirms the French/Huguenot origin behind the ‘Bodine’ name in her family tree, linking her ancestry to the Northern region of France (Hauts-de-France)
Further research on the Crocheron branch (paternal) shows that Bo Derek’s ancestor Jean Crocheron was born in 1612 in Flanders, Belgium, and married in France around 1646 before emigrating to New York. This strengthens the French and Flemish/Dutch connection in her family tree through the early Huguenot settlers!
Actually, my bad lol I just realized I made a classic genealogical mix-up in my previous comments..
I checked the records again and the May 9, 1645 date actually belongs to a different Jean Bodine (the one from Medis). The ancestor I was talking about who married Maria Crocheron, was from Bethune and born around 1660 (he was 45 in the 1708 census).
I want to emphasize that he was still very much a Huguenot, just from the northern branch. Even the WikiTree link I posted earlier clarifies this distinction in the research notes. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crocheron-3
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Bodine-9