Derek Luke Wiki Biography

The American actor Derek Luke was born on 24 April 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey USA, to mother Marjorie Dixon, a pianist, and father Maurice Luke, a former actor from Guyana. In 2002, when Denzel Washington chose him for the leading role of Antwone in the movie “Antwone Fisher, Luke’s childhood dream of becoming a film star came true. The performance brought him the Independent Spirit Award and Luke’s life changed over night. Of course, his net worth growth significantly intensified.

So just how rich is Derek Luke? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall amount of the actor’s net worth reaches as much as $5 million, most of it clearly accumulated from his television and movie projects.

Derek Luke Net Worth $5 Million

After his parents divorced when he was in the third grade, Luke and his two brothers were raised by their mother whose poor musician earnings were forcing the family to frequently move around the city. His interest in drama was born when he was just a four-year-old boy telling his mother he wanted to be a famous actor. Despite growing up in the hood, Luke had strong role models in his mother and his uncles which made him focus on education, and eventually break into the acting world. He attended six different schools and finally settled in a performing arts school, Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City. In 1992 he graduated and continued on to Jersey State College to study acting. However, he soon became impatient, wanting to break into show business, so he moved to LA in hopes of making it big in Hollywood, taking jobs that would help him meet people in this industry, such as an usher for television tapings at the Universal Picture studios, and later as a sales clerk at a gift shop on the Sony Pictures Studios lot where he met Antwone Fisher whose memoir about his life was being made into a film. Luke was landing bit parts in the sitcoms “The King of Queens” and “Moesha” when he learned that Denzel Washington was to direct the Antwone Fisher film. He auditioned, and when the project went ahead in 2001 Luke was selected for a part by Washington. His net worth was to rise!

Luke’s next two movies in 2003 were “Pieces of April” and “Biker Boyz”. After his role as Curtis in “Spartan” in 2004, he played a high school football star in “Friday Night Lights” the same year and then in the popular 2006 movie “Catch A Fire” he played the role of Patrick Chamusso, a South African anti-apartheid activist. Of course these parts helped his net worth grow.

Luke would remain a familiar face on television for years to come. In 2008 he appeared in a romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” and a year after in “Notorious”, playing the role of the famous rapper Sean “Puffy” Combs, better known as Puff Daddy, with whom Luke has grown a long-lasting friendship. From 2009-2010 he played the role of a paramedic in the series “Trauma”, after which he appeared in another series “HawthoRNe” in 2011 and he was also cast to play Gabe Jones in “Captain America” the same year. In 2013 he appeared in the series “The Americans” and last year we saw him in the popular “Empire”, playing Malcom Devoe, head of security and Cookie’s secret love interest.

In his personal life, Luke has been married to Sophia Adella, a singer, for 17 years, sometime criticized by ‘ignorant’ African-American fans for marrying outside his race, which he strongly rejects. Conversely, Derek Luke has won millions of hearts all over the world.



Net Worth $5 Million
Date Of Birth April 24, 1974
Place Of Birth Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.778 m)
Profession Actor
Education Linden High School
Nationality United States of America
Spouse Sophia Adella Luke (m. 1998)
Parents Maurice Luke, Marjorie Dixon
Siblings Maurice Luke, Daniel Luke
Nicknames Luke
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/actorderekluke
IMDB www.imdb.com/name/nm1035682
Awards Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, BET Award for Best Actor, Satellite Special Achievement Award for Outstanding New Talent
Nominations NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star – Male, Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance – Male, Black Reel Award for Best Actor
Movies Antwone Fisher, Notorious, Captain America: The First Avenger, Glory Road, Baggage Claim, Madea Goes to Jail, Sparkle, Biker Boyz, Friday Night Lights, Miracle at St. Anna, Catch a Fire, Definitely, Maybe, Self/less, Lions for Lambs, Pieces of April, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Suprem…
TV Shows Hawthorne, Trauma, 13 Reasons Why
Quote
1 I had a lot of fun with Val Kilmer. He’s like a big kid.
2 I love hip-hop and you can’t tell me I’m not a hip-hop artist.
3 I was discovered on the Sony lot through an audition by Denzel Washington.
4 In my heart of hearts I believe I was made to entertain.
5 I loved B.I.G., but not like I liked Tupac, because he was an actor, so I related to him.
6 I was working at the store on the Sony studios in Culver City. And I was literally holding a shirt when they came in and told me I’d got the part! It just shows dreams do come true.
7 Then I was working in a store in Newark, New Jersey, and I saw an actor in person, and I got so excited. My whole day changed. That’s when I decided to challenge myself to make my dreams become a reality.
8 I was watching TV at age 9 or 10, and my mom said that I came from the front room and I told her that I want to act. And she said if you want to do this at 18, then you can. It was a very simple story, yet, I do not even remember the conversation that I had with my mother. Until she reminded me of the story many years later.
9 When your heart is first, you can be absent of heart but when you put spirit first, you have a reason for why you do heart.
10 Denzel Washington invoked confidence. When you have confidence, you can do anything. And that’s what happened. I learned about being honest and keeping it true, keeping it true in my performance.
11 A few years ago you couldn’t go from TV to film. It was like a ‘no no’ but I believe when you find a plan and purpose that God has for your life, there’s not anything man can do to you. Especially when your faith is not really standing in the wisdom of man, you’re really standing in the wisdom of God.
12 I went to Jersey City State College to please a family member. I wasn’t prepared for school. To say I failed out is putting it nicely.
13 I tried to copy some of his mannerisms at first but it didn’t work. And then I just let the spirit of the character grow in me and it just took its rightful place. I started to speak the lines and it felt right.
14 Denzel Washington is a person I will always emulate. I emulate him because he focuses on real life. Because of that he has made me a better person.
15 I want what’s mine. I see other actors who are doing very interesting roles, and I just want to continue to do things that are interesting, and things that people will go see in theaters.
16 I went to college for one semester, and I took every subject I could, and I ended up failing. So I thought to myself, Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved expression – and that’s when I started thinking about acting.
17 I think it’s time to do clean-up for a generation. I believe this is one of the movies that hits home for all colors and all races. Everybody I talk to, black or white, suburban, rich or poor, can relate to rejection, can relate to not having a father or a mother.
18 Hip-hop was my first audience – I would rap in the mirror, walk down the street and listen to my Walkman.
19 Oh, my God! My wife and I, boy, we got down that night. On a personal note!
20 It’s a story about victory that will touch the lives of everyone who watches it. It’s powerful.
21 Antwone’s story was a story of hope and that’s what appealed to me. I needed hope myself at that time. I think all actors give up at some time and think they’re never going to make it.
22 He’s looking for the president’s kidnapped daughter; everybody he calls on to help him is busy, but lo and behold, you look across the room, and I’m waiting for that action.
23 Denzel’s quality, I think, is his faith. You have all the action in your head and you have to believe in it and just do it. That’s what he does and that’s what he taught me to do.
Fact
1 Brought his wife, Sophia, on stage when he won the Independent Spirit Award for best actor (“Antwone Fisher”) and handed her his award. He also revealed on stage that four years ago, he was waiting tables at the 1999 Spirit Awards.

Actor

Title Year Status Character
13 Reasons Why 2017 TV Series post-production Mr. Porter
Roots 2016 TV Mini-Series Silla Ba Dibba
Rogue 2015-2016 TV Series Marlon Dinard
Self/less 2015 Anton
Empire 2015 TV Series Malcolm Deveaux
Sight Unseen 2014/III
Supremacy 2014/I Raymond
Alex of Venice 2014 Frank
Baggage Claim 2013 William Wright
The Americans 2013 TV Series Gregory Thomas
Second Sight 2013 TV Movie Det. Paul Giroux
Sparkle 2012/I Stix
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 2012 Speck
Hawthorne 2011 TV Series Dr. Miles Bourdet
Captain America: The First Avenger 2011 Gabe Jones
Trauma 2009-2010 TV Series Cameron Boone
Madea Goes to Jail 2009 Joshua Hardaway
Notorious 2009 Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs
Miracle at St. Anna 2008 2nd Staff Sergeant Aubrey Stamps
Definitely, Maybe 2008 Russell T. McCormack
Lions for Lambs 2007 Arian Finch
Catch a Fire 2006 Patrick Chamusso
Glory Road 2006 Bobby Joe Hill
Friday Night Lights 2004 Boobie Miles
Spartan 2004 Curtis
Biker Boyz 2003 Kid
Pieces of April 2003 Bobby
Antwone Fisher 2002 Antwone Fisher
Moesha 2001 TV Series Ruckus
The King of Queens 1999-2000 TV Series Delivery Man / Orderly

Soundtrack

Title Year Status Character
Notorious 2009 performer: “Party & Bullshit”, “Warning”, “Juicy”
Catch a Fire 2006 performer: “Sobashiya Abazali”, “Tyy”

Thanks

Title Year Status Character
All the Pieces Together 2004 Video documentary short special thanks

Self

Title Year Status Character
HBO First Look 2003 TV Series documentary Himself
Charlie Rose 2002 TV Series Himself – Guest
Total Request Live 2002 TV Series Himself
The Making of ‘Antwone Fisher’ 2001 TV Short documentary Himself
The Talk 2016 TV Series Himself
Hollywood Today Live 2016 TV Series Himself
Made in Hollywood 2012-2015 TV Series Himself
The View 2015 TV Series Himself
The Late Late Show with James Corden 2015 TV Series Himself
BET Awards 2013 2013 TV Special Himself
21st Annual Trumpet Awards 2013 TV Special Himself
Big Morning Buzz Live 2012 TV Series Himself
Captain America: The First Avenger – Howling Commandos 2011 Video short Himself
Marvel LIVE! World Premiere of Captain America: The First Avenger 2011 Video short Himself
Rip the Runway 2009 TV Movie Himself – Host
Lopez Tonight 2009 TV Series Himself – Guest
Entertainment Tonight 2006-2009 TV Series Himself
I Believe in Miracles 2009 Video documentary Himself
Last Call with Carson Daly 2009 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Bonnie Hunt Show 2009 TV Series Himself – Guest
Up Close with Carrie Keagan 2008 TV Series Himself – Guest
BET Awards ’08 2008 TV Special Himself
Tavis Smiley 2006 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 2006 TV Series Himself – Guest
‘Friday Night Lights’: The Story of the 1988 Permian Panthers 2005 Video documentary short Himself
All the Pieces Together 2004 Video documentary short Himself / Bobby
The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards 2003 TV Movie documentary Himself
34th NAACP Image Awards 2003 TV Special Himself
The 17th Annual Soul Train Music Awards 2003 TV Special Himself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 2003 TV Series Himself – Guest

Archive Footage

Won Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
2006 Hollywood Breakthrough Award Hollywood Film Awards Breakthrough Actor Glory Road (2006)
2003 BET Award BET Awards Best Actor Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 Black Reel Black Reel Awards Theatrical – Best Actor Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 Black Reel Black Reel Awards Best Breakthrough Performance – Viewer’s Choice Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 Independent Spirit Award Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 Special Achievement Award Satellite Awards Outstanding New Talent Antwone Fisher (2002)
2002 NBR Award National Board of Review, USA Breakthrough Performance – Male Antwone Fisher (2002)

Nominated Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
2014 Hollywood Award Acapulco Black Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast Baggage Claim (2013)
2010 Black Reel Black Reel Awards Best Supporting Actor Madea Goes to Jail (2009)
2009 Image Award Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
2008 Black Reel Black Reel Awards Best Actor Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
2007 Black Reel Black Reel Awards Best Actor Catch a Fire (2006)
2006 Satellite Award Satellite Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama Catch a Fire (2006)
2003 CFCA Award Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Most Promising Performer Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 MTV Movie Award MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Male Performance Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 OFTA Film Award Online Film & Television Association Best Breakthrough Performance – Male Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 OFCS Award Online Film Critics Society Awards Best Breakthrough Performance Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 PFCS Award Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Best Newcomer Antwone Fisher (2002)
2003 Teen Choice Award Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Breakout Star – Male Antwone Fisher (2002)

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