Derek dismisses conclusions that he has eclipsed other box office actors of Star Cinema, like Piolo Pascual (who hasn’t had a hit for a long time) and John Lloyd Cruz. “Hindi naman,” he says. “Sinuwerte lang siguro kong napasama sa mga pelikulang tinangkilik ng tao.”
His acting in “No Other Woman” as a philandering husband torn between wife Cristine Reyes and mistress Anne Curtis also got praises, with some writers saying it’s obvious that he’s not all brawn with his hunky body as he also gave an honest and sincere performance.
Joji Dingcong, his manager, says: “I’ve known from the start that he can develop into a serious actor kasi malalim na tao si Derek. He has no inhibitions in shedding off his clothes to do delicate bed scenes, but when it comes to acting, marami rin siyang ipapakita. He grew up with a well to do family with his British dad, but as a teenager, he ran away from home and lived in a congested slum area in Tatalon where he learned how to speak Tagalog fluently.”
“Experience is the best teacher,” adds Derek. “My adventures when I was younger certainly helped me become more familiar with a lot of emotions that I now put into good use as an actor.”
Some say that aside from being a Box Office King, he might also win an acting award for “No Other Woman”. “I don’t want to entertain any ideas. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed.”
