I found you on the Underwear Nation Model search, you really impressed me after the contest ended. You lost by a slim margin but told your Facebook page not to say or post bad things about the winner. It showed your character. I knew right then we had to work with you.

Tell us a little about you, where you are from, and some of your hobbies/interests?

I am from Chattanooga, TN and currently still live there. I am a pretty low-key kind of guy, mainly because I am constantly busy and don’t have much time to get out much. Aside from working to pay the bills and doing acting/modeling/singing stuff, I also help run my non-profit I co-founded called 1N3, which raises awareness about the consequences of drunk driving. My mother and I started it after my brother was killed by a drunk driver in his memory. Anyone interested in more details can visit our website at www.iam1n3.org.

As far as my hobbies and interests go, enjoy being creative, so I dabble in graphic arts, video editing, and photography for fun. Otherwise you’ll catch me on the couch watching Netflix.

How did you get into modeling and acting? Anything you have done that our readers can see?

I started out wanting to be a model. I honestly don’t even remember why I was trying to get into. What I remember is hearing about open calls and such for model searches and attending them. After getting chosen to be seen by agents, from there I knew I had something and never looked back. I have always sang, but when American Idol first started airing I could see myself up on the stage and doing the same thing. So from there, I auditioned for the show many times, and I was lucky enough to advance to Round 2 at one point, but didn’t advance further. Given that it is a reality show, I didn’t let that get me down about my talents. My big break in starting my career more fully was in January of 2012 when I signed with The Jana VanDyke Agency in Atlanta, GA where I have been making a name for myself among the Casting Directors there. I’ve learned that it takes time before they trust, and given that they all keep having me audition for tv shows and movies for them only means my time to shine is near.

I do work on short films and such to keep myself fresh, and of course I love acting. My YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/derekyates, has my Acting Reel available to be seen for anyone who would like to see what all I’ve done so far, and I have some music videos for anyone interested in hearing me also.

What made you want to model underwear?

Modeling underwear was kind of a on a whim. I did a shoot with Ethan James in Murfreesboro, TN, and some of the shots were done in underwear. They turned out better than I expected as far as how I thought I’d look in them, and the online community seemed to like them also. I used them for modeling contests and it seemed the public liked what they saw overall. So, I decided to continue doing underwear shoots when possible. Plus, I work hard to stay in shape as best I can, so showing off my hard work and sacrifices is only natural.

I mentioned above the Underwear Nation model search, how was that for you? Did it get you more publicity?

The Underwear Nation model search definitely got me a few more followers for sure. As my online following kept posting to vote for me, my Likes on Facebook definitely grew, and my Twitter and Instagram so growth also. Plus, it got me the gig with you guys at Underwear News Brief. And even though I was the runner-up for the UN model search, we are still in talks about having me out to shoot for one of their upcoming months. I’m not going to lie though, that contest wore me out. It was all I did and focused on for 4 weeks straight, day in and day out. So after it was over it was a huge release to not have to push so hard to get votes from everyone. It was worth it though.

If you could model for any underwear company in the market, who would it be?

Hmmm, that’s tough. I don’t really have just one brand that I like more than any others. I will have to say that after signing up for Underwear Nation and getting the monthly shipment to my house, I’ve discovered brands I’ve never heard of. I will say though that I have always wanted to be a Calvin Klein underwear model.

Who are your favorite underwear brands right now?

I like Calvin Klein, Baskit, CIN2, and there’s a Diesel pair I ran across recently I’m thinking about getting. But if it fits well and makes me look good, then I like them, regardless of the brand.

 
What are your plans for the future? any thing you are working on right now?

My current plans are to continue pushing for my acting/modeling/singing career. I recently got on with a Tennessee agent along with my Atlanta agent, so hopefully I’ll start seeing more work from that here soon. I’m looking into a Florida agent also possibly, as well as some agents out in LA. Providing I can get some interest out in LA, I’m hoping to be moving out there by the first of year.

I am working on hopefully producing some of my own short films soon, and I have a few ideas for some upcoming cover song releases.

Where can our readers find you?

Anyone interested in keeping up with me can find me at any of these social media sites:

www.derek-yates.com
www.facebook.com/derekyates
www.twitter.com/derekyates
www.youtube.com/derekyates
www.instagram.com/derekyates
www.derekyates.tumblr.com

I’m always glad to hear from fans, so feel free to message me on any of those.

I do have two cover songs on iTunes and Amazon if anyone is interested in those. Just type in “derek yates your guardian angel” or “derek yates titanium” to find them.

Photographer:  Ignacio Rivera Jr.