Derek Chadwick has mastered being looked at, yet his latest chapter is about being listened to, as the openly gay influencer-turned-actor claims space onstage and challenges what people think they already know about him.
If gay culture had a favorite pastime, it would be lovingly side-eyeing the influencer-to-actor pipeline while secretly rooting for it to work. Enter Derek Chadwick, who doesn’t just walk that pipeline—he struts down it, shirt open, lighting perfect, confidence earned. Chadwick is currently part of the ensemble cast of Messy White Gays, the latest Off-Broadway spectacle from the brilliantly unhinged mind of Drew Droege and director Mike Donahue. In the show, Chadwick plays Addison, a gorgeous influencer who is vegan, astrology-obsessed, and fiercely protective of his wildly popular social media presence. Art imitates life? Maybe. Hot imitates hot? Absolutely.
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Let’s get this out of the way: Derek Chadwick is stunning. Show-stopping. Distractingly attractive in a way that makes you forget what you opened the app for. But what makes Messy White Gays interesting isn’t just that Derek looks like he was designed in a lab to ruin your focus—it’s that he’s actively interrogating what it means to be seen only for that. With 1.7 million followers on Instagram, attention has never been scarce. Depth, however, is something Chadwick has had to insist upon.
In an interview with Them, Chadwick speaks candidly about wanting his interior life to be taken as seriously as his exterior. Yes, the good exercise routine helps. Sure, the clean eating doesn’t hurt. And his cosmetic line, Chaddy, certainly adds polish. But beneath the glow is someone who has wrestled with impostor syndrome, rejection, and that familiar actor spiral of wondering if “not right for this role” is just a polite way of saying “not good enough.”
Chadwick Gets Messy with the White Guys (On Theatre, That Is)
Landing Messy White Gays—his first theater role—wasn’t instant validation so much as hard-earned reassurance. The multi-hyphenate recalls reading multiple times for casting director Ryan Bernard Tymensky and repeatedly hearing variations of “not right right now.” Like so many actors, he internalized it. Only later did he learn that some of those rejections had nothing to do with talent and everything to do with age or network preferences. Still, the emotional toll was real. Anyone who’s ever refreshed their email one too many times knows that feeling.
@derekachadwick 🏂
Rather than retreat, the actor doubled down. He took acting classes. He committed to the craft. Failing to prepare, as the saying goes, is preparing to fail—and Chadwick clearly wasn’t interested in failing quietly. Theater, with its immediacy and lack of filters, became the ultimate statement: I’m serious about this.
Photo Credit: @derekchadwickHis origin story into acting is refreshingly unglamorous. In 2019, while modeling and creating social media content, a roommate working as a costume designer casually suggested background work on a Netflix show. Quarterback types needed. There was pay. Why not? The first day was fine. The second day tested his patience. Twelve hours of waiting will do that. Yet somewhere between boredom and curiosity, something clicked. The camera, the set, the strange rhythm of production—it all lodged itself in his brain.
Doing Messy White Gays, Chadwick says, felt important. Not just because of the title’s wink-and-nudge queerness, but because it signaled intention. This wasn’t a brand deal or a cameo. It was a choice to be vulnerable in front of a live audience, to trade curated perfection for messy humanity.
Photo Credit: @derekchadwickWhat Does Chadwick Think About Being an Influencer?
As for being an influencer in a world that still side-eyes the label, Derek is pragmatic. People on TV do everything now. Why shouldn’t they? Why shouldn’t casting expand to include people who’ve built audiences, businesses, and identities outside one narrow lane? The industry is changing whether it likes it or not.
@derekachadwick Can’t believe this isn’t a real tan
And then there’s the gay question—the one that always lingers. Does starring in something literally titled Messy White Gays affect how casting directors see him? The actor’s answer is disarmingly simple. He’s been out for a long time. It hasn’t stopped him before. Being gay is part of who he is, not the entirety of it. He’s gay, it’s cool, and it doesn’t require constant explanation.
Photo Credit: @derekchadwickThat confidence is what ultimately makes Derek Chadwick compelling. The body may pull you in, but it’s the self-awareness, the work ethic, and the refusal to be boxed in that keep you watching. In an era obsessed with labels, Chadwick is proof that you can be hot, queer, ambitious, and still insist on being taken seriously. And honestly? That might be the sexiest part of all.
REFERENCE: Them