Derek Theler (born October 29, 1986) is an American film and television actor and model. Derek started his acting career in 2009, starring in several minor roles in TV series such as The Middle, Cougar Town, and The Hills. He also auditioned for Captain America but was not cast. In between acting gigs, Theler appeared as a model in TV commercials. He first landed a coveted Coke Zero commercial in 2009. This then followed by a campaign for State Farm, in which he played a 'hot guy' who is 'sensitive' and has a 'dark side.'
He has also been in commercials for Nike, Kayak.com, Arby's, and Verizon. Aside from acting, he was also the writer and executive producer of a short film called Intrusion. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and swimming. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
In 2012, Theler landed his first major role when he was cast in the ABC Family comedy, Baby Daddy, playing Danny Wheeler, the brother of the title character. Also that year, Theler starred as Riggins in the web series Project S.E.R.A..
In 2015, he starred as Chase Walker in the movie Shark Killer, which released on June 16, 2015 via digital download. Theler played the role of shark killer who hunts down a black-finned shark that swallowed a valuable diamond during a gang transaction. He also starred as Jordan in Christmas movie How Sarah Got Her Wings, which was released on digital hd and video on demand on November 1, 2015. The Christmas movie premiered on Ion television on December 6, 2015. On November 19, 2015, Theler starred in the Funny or Die parody titled Chicago Sanitation.