American actor Sean Patrick Thomas was 30 years old when he landed the role of Derek — who grew up in the rough part of Chicago and falls in love with the new girl at school, Sara — in the 2001 romance/dance film “Save The Last Dance.”

Sean shared the big screen with Julia Stiles as the transfer student and ballerina who moves in with her absent father after her mom’s tragic death, Sara, and Kerry Washington as the teen mom navigating her on-again-off-again relationship and Derek’s supportive sister.

“You can do it put your back into it!”