Biography

Hailing from Knoxville, TN, Derek had always been involved with acting.

In high school, Derek found his love for theater. First playing a supporting role in Peter Pan as Cecco. From there, Derek sought to audition for more shows and landed his first leading role in Beauty and the Beast as Gaston. After graduating, Derek continued to look for more shows to be in. He played Kenickie in Grease and Tarzan in Tarzan the Musical. He then landed the role of Rocky Horror in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Derek then attended Kennesaw State University, majoring in theater. He was an understudy for the play Water By the Spoonful. He then turned his eye towards film. Joining up with For Films Sake, a film club at KSU, Derek found his true passion. Playing roles in multiple short films such as 21 Coals and the Parallel. He then went on to write his first screenplay, Remembering Lucy. His first film went on to festivals to win nominations for Best Director and an Award of Merit for Best Actor.
- IMDb mini biography by: Derek Duce