About Derek
Award winning actor, director and producer Derek Maki thrives in the industry and there is no site in end.
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Derek has been acting since he was 7 years old. He is originally from Massachusetts, the state where he graduated high school and college earning his associate's degree in
Broadcasting and Telecommunications.
While in college Derek developed Coolwaters Productions LLC and produced his first 3 independent films which include "Rescue Me" (shot for the Drug Free America charity) and "Shorts" (a film containing 3 mini stories covering slap stick comedy, horror and a super hero special effects story).
After graduating from college Derek made the big move to Hollywood, California, where he currently resides and is continuing to pursue his acting and directing career. With years of frustration building (as it often does with actors) Derek decided to resurrect Coolwaters Productions LLC from his college years. Coolwaters is now producing many independent films standing behind the company's slogan;
"Don't wait for Hollywood to make your film. Do it yourself"!
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His first major success is his award winning film "INSTANT DADS" which was nominated on the film festival circuit 5 times for "Best Film" and WON the honor twice! Derek was lucky enough to have his mentor and friend, director Irvin Kershner ("Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back") assist with the editing of the film, an offer made by the famed director and one that Derek is deeply grateful for!
The film can be seen on AMAZON (free with Prime or for a nominal fee non-Prime members) or someone can buy a limited Special Edition signed DVD copy here:
One cannot be too modest so why not admit some failures?
A script/concept produced by Derek (with his friend, actor Warwick Davis), called "REDMAN" was turned pitched and sadly down by Lionsgate (this was to be a "Leprechaun" franchise re-boot to star Warwick). The timing just wasn't right had the franchised had already been optioned by another director for a re-boot.
How about another close call?
A reality TV show about his company, Coolwaters Productions LLC (the management side to focus on his work with celebrated personalties and their trips around the world to visit fan conventions), featured a pilot that was fully shot and shopped around Hollywood that featured Derek's celebrity clients
Ernie Hudson, Doug Jones, Margot Kidder, Cerina Vincent and others. Derek held strong to the story lines he wanted to tell and let the project go when the studios tried to force him to tell the stories in a different way. Creative control was something he fought for,
but sadly lost out this time around.
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In between film projects and TV commercials Derek was part of an IMPROV troop in Los Angeles CA. Derek's comedic timing is impeccable and he often "stole the show" with some of his crazy characters. Comedy to this day remains one of Derek's staples in his career and he can often be found keeping crowds laughing at some of the events he hosts.
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Currently Derek has been producing documentary films.
His biggest pride & joy in this area is getting "ALIENS" director JAMES CAMERON to do an unprecedented on camera interview for 'ALIENS EXPANDED" (which also includes other rare interviews with actors like Carrie Henn "Newt" and Michale Biehn "Hicks").
His ties to actors like Ian McDiarmid "The Emperor" and his friendship with Billy Dee Williams "Lando Calrissian" gained him credit as a producer on the series "ICONS UNEARTHED".
His next project is one he calls his "Love Letter to Dougie" which will be a feature length, in-depth film on his friend & client,
actor DOUG JONES, which includes interviews with some of Doug & Derek's friends, co-stars and colleagues like:
Noah Wyle, Sonequa Martin-Green, Harvey Guillen, David Ajala, Ron Perlman, David Kirschner and many more.
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Derek can also be seen touring the globe with his celebrity clients that he represents for appearances.
While on tour Derek will host stage panels and Q&A sessions with his long time friend and client Billy Dee Williams.
You might catch the two of them playing a game of "Sabacc" (a card game from STAR WARS)! Of course their version of the game is a bit "magical", it allows the stage to be shared with a young fan from the audience who "plays along with Lando"... but you have to SEE IT to appreciate it! Audience members are treated to some magic tricks during warm-up as Derek is a novice magician.
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Derek is President of Coolwaters Productions LLC. The company has two divisions with the first being film production and the second being a management firm, for established actors, that specializes in personal appearances, meet and greets, comic cons and autograph signings.
LEARN MORE VIA THE LINKS BELOW:
