| Derek Luke | |
| Caption: | Luke at Orlando, Florida in 2013 |
| Birth Name: | Derek Nathanial Luke |
| Birth Date: | 24 April 1974 |
| Birth Place: | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1999–present |
| Children: | 1 |
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974)[1] is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film Antwone Fisher, directed and produced by Denzel Washington.[2] He is also known for his roles as Boobie Miles in Friday Night Lights (2004), Bobby Joe Hill in Glory Road (2006), Joshua Hardaway in Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Gabe Jones in (2011), William Wright in Baggage Claim (2013), and Kevin Porter on the Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020).
Luke was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Marjorie Dixon, a pianist, and Maurice Luke, a former actor. His father is from Georgetown, Guyana.[3] [4]
Derek attended Henry Snyder High School and graduated from Linden High School.[5]
Luke played a small role as a nurse in the 1999 "White Collar" episode of the sitcom The King of Queens, and played one of the group members of Mayhem in the Moesha episode "Mayhem at the Jam Esp" (March 19, 2001).
Luke's breakout role was in the title role of the Denzel Washington film Antwone Fisher. He appeared alongside American actor Laurence Fishburne as Kid in the 2003 film Biker Boyz. He subsequently played James 'Boobie' Miles in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights, Bobby Joe in the 2006 film Glory Road, and Sean 'Puffy' Combs in the 2009 film Notorious. He also played Alicia Keys' love interest in her music video for "Teenage Love Affair", and singer Monica's love interest in her music video for "So Gone".
Luke played one of the four male leads in Spike Lee's 2008 war film Miracle at St. Anna, replacing Wesley Snipes, who had to leave the film due to his highly publicized tax problems.[6]
Luke starred in the NBC show Trauma. He played Gabe Jones, a member of the Howling Commandos, in the 2011 Marvel Studios film . In June 2011, he also began starring in the TNT original medical drama series Hawthorne as Miles Bourdet, an assistant surgeon from Chicago.
From February to April 2013, he played Gregory Thomas in the FX series The Americans. In 2015, he played Malcolm Devoe, head of security for Empire Entertainment and Cookie's secret love interest, on the TV series Empire. In March 2018, he was cast in the lead role of the NBC pilot Suspicion.[7]
Luke has been married to actress Sophia Adella Luke since 1998.[8] They have one son.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | The King of Queens | Delivery Man / Orderly | 2 episodes | |
| 2001 | Moesha | Ruckus | Episode: "Mayhem at the Jam" | |
| 2009–2010 | Trauma | Cameron Boone | 20 episodes | |
| 2011 | Hawthorne | Dr. Miles Bourdet | 8 episodes | |
| 2013, 2018 | The Americans | Gregory Thomas | 4 episodes | |
| 2015 | Empire | Malcolm DeVeaux | 3 episodes | |
| 2015–2017 | Rogue | Marlon Dinard | Series regular, 20 episodes | |
| 2016 | Roots | Silla Ba Dibba | 2 episodes | |
| 2017–2019 | 13 Reasons Why | Mr. Kevin Porter | Main cast (Seasons 1–2); Guest (Season 3); 27 episodes | |
| 2019 | God Friended Me | Henry Chase | Episode; "Que Sera Sera"[10] | |
| 2019 | The Purge | Marcus Moore | Main; 10 episodes | |
| 2023 | The Crossover | Chuck Bell | Main role |