Derek Mears. Actor: Swamp Thing. Derek Mears was born on April 29, 1972 in Bakersfield, California, USA. He has numerous credits as both an actor and a stuntman, and he got his breakthrough lead role in the 2009 Friday the 13th film. He is known for his work on Sleepy Hollow (2013-2017), Predators (2010) and Men in Black II (2002).