January 19, 2024
Derrick Levy was born in the parish of Saint Catherine in Jamaica at the Spanish Town Hospital and first lived in Central Village before moving to Portmore at age 11.
Though the realization that the interest in acting existed from his teenage years, Levy wasn’t afforded the opportunity to express this creative side and therefore didn’t pursue acting until he turned 26. He was a part of a local game show where his personality shone bright throughout its airing. Subsequently, Levy was approached by a talent agency which further fueled his desire to learn the art of acting and hone his craft at being truthful in imaginary circumstances.
“I was influenced by a village, which helped to mold me into a respectable individual, understanding how to be king and exercise good conduct,” Levy expressed.
One actor that truly inspired Levy would likely be Daniel Kaluuya, whose back story, growth and eventual fame is inspirational, not to mention the abundance of talent he exudes.
Levy was discovered on the JPS Power Smart Energy Challenge Show and his first acting job was for a commercial which aired on local television. Everyone was impressed with his personality and genuine charisma, which was described as entertaining and a joy to watch.
Over the years, Levy has worked with several brands such as Burger King Honey Bun, Tru-Juice, Jad-Co, Click N Collect, Victoria Mutual, Marston Insurance, Wray and Nephew, Digicel, Worthy Park Estate, Levi’s, JPS, Sagicor and Flow Jamaica in commercials and on social media Christmas ads.
As far as movies go, Levy was a part of the casting team of the movie Bob Marley One Love, to be released February 2024, as a Reader during the audition and was further casted for a role, Get Millie Black, a series written by Marlen James for Channel 4 and HBO, Silver Silhouette, a Jamaican movie to be released early 2024, a biopic surrounding the life of a famous Reggae artist yet to be announced and St. Andrews, a short film. In 2023, Levy made his debut in a theatre play called “Curious Case of Time” written by Quera South.
For music videos, Levy has been in Chronic Law’s “Silent Thoughts” and Thesaurus’ “Who Knows”. A director he likes working with is Mykal Cushnie whom he regards as being truly talented with a great creative mind. One director he’d love to work with again is Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed the Bob Marley movie. Levy says Green is brilliant at what he does. His style of directing, he believes, helps actors to truly portray and craft the vision he has. A creative collaboration with him again would be great for Levy’s growth.
Levy loves a compelling narrative mixed with humor and rounded characters. He prefers to play roles where everyone can see a bit of themselves in these characters and to watch them develop as the story continues.
“Getting in character is a process. You not only have to analyze your character and figure out the background story and their likes and dislikes, you also have to understand how each character in the story impacts the character you’re preparing for, how he reacts to him or her. It’s a process,” Levy explained.
Some really positive feedback has been extended to the actor and expresses the determination needed to be successful in acting. “With every skill you have to continuously work hard on it. Acting is no different. If you love it and want to be great in this field you have to work hard on the craft. I’ve been to acting classes, read acting books, enrolled in Edna Manley School of Performing Arts, spoken with acting coaches and been on every audition that pops up. Work with hunger, and you’ll see the fruits of your labor.”
Due to his time in front of the camera, Levy has picked up the knowledge of how to bring films to life. He invested in a camera, lights, microphones and other essentials, fundamental in aiding with his efforts. In 2021, Levy Entertainment was registered but at the moment, the company is a make-shift studio at his home. He shoots skits and shorts posted on his Instagram page. Having the proper equipment now, Levy has started to utilize his voice more in his videos.
Levy is not yet signed to an agency and though his career hasn’t provided travel opportunities outside of Jamaica, in the future, Levy hopes to be on an international scale, booking jobs and competing for big roles in major projects. He also wants to grow his online presence to a magnitude where he can help upcoming talents to grow and be seen.
Follow @levyent to watch Derrick Levy evolve into what could be Jamaica’s next big movie star.