Biography

Derek was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is the second son of two public school teachers. He was raised to have a love for reading, writing and storytelling. To this day he remains inspired by his parents' ability to capture and keep the attention of everyone in the room. Whether it was his Mother's uncanny ability to voice multiple characters so very uniquely and genuinely while reading to him and his brother or her third grade class, his Father's skillful command of class during a math or history lesson while impersonating George C Scott as Patton, his Grandpa Larthey's wild tales of war in Europe and the South Pacific or his Grandpa Shearer's Sunday sermons Derek grew up knowing the value of a good story and the importance of how it is told. His family's favorite stories range from classic literature to science fiction, from the historic to the Biblical. By the third grade he had completed reading the works of Jack London and had moved on, turning in book reports on king Lear and Othello. He was also heavily influenced by his parents' peers who reinforced his love for history, literature and art. It was around this time that he and his family began going to the movies with countless visits to the historic single screen nickelodeon, the Colonnade. It was here that Derek fell in love with movies and began to consume them as voraciously as he had once consumed only books. Inspired by the silver screen, he wrote his first screenplay by the fourth grade. From this point on, he dreamed of a career as a movie actor. Derek has been quoted saying "I've always wanted to be that person on the huge screen up there. Lighting up the dark. The person that could become anyone in an instant, a flicker or change of the reel. Someone that can entertain and inspire others as I've been inspired by my favorite stories and characters." Derek graduated from Upper Dauphin Area High School as a varsity letterman in three sports with a 4.0. A Congressional Nominee to attend West Point, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. He attended Lebanon Valley College on full scholarship from the Army. While at Lebanon Valley College he trained at West Point (USMA) and studied abroad at London Metropolitan University. It was here that he truly fell in love with the theater. While taking film acting classes in Philadelphia, Derek landed his first job on a major movie as a stand in for Joaquin Phoenix on M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs." For the first time, more than any job before, Derek felt "at home" with the camaraderie and professionalism of every one set as he watched movie magic in the making. He began learning everything he could about his favorite film makers. Chief among theses, Frank Capra. As a result, he individualized his major, determined to join the unit that Capra led in the Army. However, Derek's military career was cut short just months before becoming a Second Lieutenant due to injuries sustained in a car accident. After graduating from Lebanon Valley College, Derek moved to Los Angeles to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 2008, Derek discovered a new passion in the film industry, producing his first feature film in collaboration with a friend from Church just a few years later. Derek continues to pursue his love for the theater as well movies, both producing and acting. Over the years, this work has been rewarding for him, capped with trips to the Screen Actors Guild Awards and work on several major motion pictures and TV series. Derek lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Aleeta where he is continuing his family's tradition as a public educator. Derek is a cancer survivor and founder of Survivor's Testament LLC. Survivor's Testament LLC is a film production company that is determined to discover, develop, produce and sell original, empowering content to Major Studios, Networks, Reputable Indie Studios and Distributors.
- IMDb mini biography by: Manager