Actor. Stunt Performer. Filmmaker. An entertainment icon defined by four decades of extraordinary work in Hollywood.
"A man of extraordinary character blessed with multiple creative talents — always on the hunt for opportunities to showcase his genius to the entertainment industry."
Derrick Simmons is a Native New Yorker whose name has become synonymous with stunt acting and independent filmmaking. He is one of Hollywood's emerging multi-hyphenate entertainment professionals — an actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, producer, director, and writer with over 30 years of credits in major film and television productions.
Born and raised in New York City, Derrick's journey began in 1985 with his first television role on The Equalizer — and the career that followed would touch virtually every major studio, network, and streaming platform in Hollywood. From the gritty realism of Law & Order to the Oscar-winning grandeur of Joker, Derrick has been a constant and defining presence across four decades of American cinema.
Accessible through his production company Derrick Simmons Film Works, Derrick is a true creative force who doesn't simply appear in front of the camera — he shapes what happens behind it. He has completed and released three independent feature films, each one written, produced, and directed by his own hand. His most recent, "Nobody's Perfect" (2016), is a dramatic suspense thriller about domestic violence that stands as one of the most personal and ambitious works in his catalog.
Moved by passion as an award-winning filmmaker producing, directing, writing, acting, and stunt coordinating, Derrick has also tapped into the music industry with his record label Phat Tune Recording. The label handles all soundtracks for his independent films — giving each production a distinctive musical voice that complements his visual storytelling.
With 217+ stunt credits to his name, Derrick has been trusted as the personal stunt double for some of Hollywood's biggest names — including Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Ray Charles, Taye Diggs, Tituss Burgess, and Gabourey Sidibe. His work on productions like Joker, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and The Many Saints of Newark speaks to a level of technical mastery that only decades of dedicated experience can produce.
"An Entertainment Icon — a man of extraordinary character whose name has become synonymous with excellence across acting, stunts, and filmmaking."
Derrick Simmons Film Works
Born and raised in New York City, Derrick's work reflects the authentic spirit and energy of the city. Many of his most celebrated credits are New York productions — Law & Order, Third Watch, Blue Bloods, Luke Cage, Boardwalk Empire — and his independent films draw on the stories and perspectives that only a true New Yorker can tell.
In an industry that often specializes, Derrick Simmons does it all — and does it at the highest level.
40+ credits spanning 1985 to the present — from Emmy-winning dramas to billion-dollar blockbusters. A Bronx Tale, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, When They See Us, and more.
40+ Credits • 1985–2021217+ stunt credits on major Hollywood productions including Joker, Spider-Man: Far From Home, American Gangster, Hancock, Godzilla, and The Many Saints of Newark.
217+ Credits • 35+ YearsTrusted stunt double for Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Ray Charles, Taye Diggs, Tituss Burgess, and Gabourey Sidibe — among the most decorated roster of celebrity doubles in the industry.
6 Major Stars • Multiple ProductionsAward-winning independent filmmaker with three feature films produced, directed, and written through Derrick Simmons Film Works — authentic New York stories told his way.
3 Feature Films • 2007–2016Founder of Phat Tune Recording — the record label that handles all soundtracks for his independent films, blending music and cinema into a unified creative vision uniquely his own.
Phat Tune Recording • Est. 2007Derrick Simmons Film Works is his independent production company — the vehicle through which he has produced, directed, and written three feature films. The company reflects his commitment to authentic storytelling rooted in New York City's culture and experience.
Every film produced through the company carries Derrick's complete creative fingerprint — from the screenplay to the final cut. This total creative ownership is what makes his work distinctly, unmistakably his.
Phat Tune Recording is Derrick's record label, founded to handle the soundtracks for all of his independent films. This gives his productions a distinctive musical voice that complements his visual storytelling — making each film a fully integrated artistic statement.
The label represents another dimension of Derrick's creative ambition: the belief that authentic stories deserve authentic music, created with the same level of care and intention as every other element of production.
Film Soundtracks • Original MusicFirst major television credit on the CBS drama series — launching a career that would span four decades and touch virtually every corner of Hollywood.
Feature film role — expanding his screen presence into cinema while continuing his long-running television work.
Begins an 11-year relationship with one of television's most iconic series — appearing across multiple episodes of NBC's landmark crime procedural through 2001.
Alongside Robert De Niro in his celebrated directorial debut. A landmark role in a landmark film — cementing Derrick's place in New York cinema history.
HBO's groundbreaking prison drama Oz (as Billie Keane) and the theatrical comedy Booty Call — demonstrating his range across wildly different genres and tones.
Third Watch (NBC) begins — six seasons of the acclaimed emergency drama. Also stunt double for Chris Rock in Dogma and Taye Diggs in The Best Man: a landmark year.
Appears on HBO's iconic crime drama The Sopranos. Stunt work on Shaft and Requiem for a Dream — two of 2000's most talked-about productions.
Cast as Evelda Drumgo's Bodyguard in Ridley Scott's sequel to Silence of the Lambs — sharing the screen with Anthony Hopkins in one of the year's biggest films.
Begins six seasons of stunt work on HBO's The Wire — widely regarded as one of the greatest television series ever produced. Stunt work on American landmark.
Serves as Stunt Coordinator for Comedy Central's iconic Chappelle's Show — adding coordinator credit to his already formidable resume.
Stunt work on Ridley Scott's American Gangster (Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe). Releases Jump Offs — his debut feature as writer, producer, director, and actor.
Stunt work on Will Smith's summer blockbuster Hancock. Acting role as Dice Player in the acclaimed musical biopic Cadillac Records.
Releases his third independent feature film — a dramatic suspense thriller about domestic violence that he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in as Morgan. His most personal work.
Back-to-back blockbusters — stunt player on Joker (Joaquin Phoenix, Oscar winner) and stunt performer on Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1.1 billion box office). An extraordinary year.
Acting role as Visiting Room Guard in Ava DuVernay's Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries When They See Us. Featured in FBI as Informant One. The legacy deepens.
Stunt work on the acclaimed Sopranos prequel film — a full-circle moment for a career that began in New York's television landscape over three decades earlier.
Casting directors, producers and directors are invited to reach out. Derrick is available for acting roles, stunt work, and production collaborations.