Link to the n*de photos
Maybe it depends on who you ask.
Jake was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and appeared in commercials like "Two for one windows at Feldco!" and "Don't let your roof ruin your summer!", and a short, Between the Silence, about two elderly ladies becoming friends.
Showrunner Matt Duffer saw him in a furniture commercial and cast him as one of the next generation of kids who fight the evil Vecna in Stranger Things, Season 5.
He starts out as Dipsh*t Derek, a bully who harasses Holly Wheeler (younger sister of the first generation's Mike, played by Finn Wolfhard). He trips people, yells at his mother, and tells various kids and adults to "suck my (censored)."
Left: Finn Wolfhard, n*de on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends.
That was supposed to be the end of his character, but the Duffers were so impressed that they gave him a plot arc: he is being groomed by a mysterious being called Mr. Whatsit.
Mike and his friends discover that Mr. Whatsit is actually Vecna in disguise, and recruit him into the battle. He becomes a hero and rescues Holly, earning the new name Delightful Derek. Rescuing a girl is a hetero cliche.
When Vecna is finally defeated, Derek hugs Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and waves excitedly at Mike, whom he calls his "best friend." Two queer codes.
In the epilogue, he attends Will and Mike's high school graduation (sitting with Holly), then plays Dungeons and Dragons with the new generation (a boy and two girls). Two hetero codes.
A fan favorite, Delightful Derek goes to a lot of conventions, and is interviewed on a lot of podcasts. He was a guest on The Tonight Show. His home town decreed February 17th "Stranger Things Day." In May 2026, he got to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game.
With fitness trainer Chase Bandolik. I thought they were pretending to be a romantic couple, but apparently Chase does the "I got invited," "I didn't" stuff with many people. I don't know what it means.
