Derek Phillips

Derek Phillips, a Miami native born in ’76, didn’t just wake up one day and land on our screens. Nope, this guy put in the grind. He picked up a BFA in acting from Baylor (yeah, he’s got the receipts), then hightailed it to New York where the real hustle began. You might’ve caught him treading the boards in everything from "The Winter’s Tale" over at Baltimore Center Stage to "Of Mice and Men" at Dallas Theater Center, or maybe you saw him chasing dreams in "The Glass Menagerie" in Virginia. Basically, the dude was everywhere, soaking up regional theater life and sharpening his chops. But, let’s be honest, most people really started paying attention when he showed up as Billy Riggins on "Friday Night Lights." That role? Straight up gut-punch stuff—raw, real, and definitely not the background noise. Before that, he put in his time with soap staples like "The Guiding Light," "As the World Turns," and "All My Children." He’s not just about the acting, though. Derek’s also been pulling strings behind the curtain as associate producer and assistant director at Second Thought Theatre. And yeah, he’s a resident actor there too, doing his thing in edgy shows like Eric Bogosian’s "Humpty Dumpty" and the premiere of "Pluck the Day." If you’re looking for a guy who lives and breathes the stage (and then some), Derek Phillips is your man. He’s proof you don’t just stumble into the spotlight—you earn it, one role at a time.