Derek Lee Nixon, an American actor, was born on April 13, 1983, in San Antonio, Texas. He was raised in the same city, where he began his acting career at the tender age of six. His mother, Patricia Cadena, submitted his photo to a local talent agent, and soon he was working on commercials for prominent brands such as Ford Motor Company, SeaWorld, Six Flags, Fiesta Texas, and doing public service announcements.
As a child actor, Nixon was considered for the main character Preston in Disney's Blank Check. He attended the North East School of the Arts for his first year of high school before transferring to Churchill High School, where he graduated in 2001. Following his high school graduation, Nixon packed up his car and moved to Burbank, California, to pursue his acting career.
Nixon's television credits include Boston Public, Do Over, The Andy Dick Show, America's Most Wanted, and more. He has also made a name for himself as a film producer, producing some of the movies he stars in, including Hallettsville, The Lights, Ozzy Lusth and Outrage, which features notable actors such as Gary Busey, Joe Estevez, Michael Madsen, Natasha Lyonne, and horror film legend Michael Berryman.
In 2002, Nixon gained significant recognition for his role as Ryan Hammond, the fun-loving and lackadaisical nephew of Roman business tycoon Derek Hammond, in Mary-Kate & Ashley's When in Rome. Throughout his career, Nixon has continued to work in film and television, with credits spanning from 1999 to 2007. Some of his notable roles include small parts in Evenhand (1999),When in Rome (2002),Tyler Jensen in Hallettsville (2006),Brad Taylor in The Lights (2007),and Jack Cratton in Outrage (2007).
