Remembering Derrick Holmes

Derrick Holmes in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I caught a screening of Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) at the Shin Bungeiza theater in Ikebukuro. One of the things I enjoyed most about it was seeing Derrick Holmes as Biomajor agent Michael Low again. As I watched him in the movie, it reminded me that, a couple of years ago, I finally found someone who told me the cause of his passing.

Derrick Holmes in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In June 2021, I contacted one of Derrick's friends via social media, who told me what happened. According to what I was told, he fell off a stairwell from about the seventh floor. It was also determined to be an accident, as he apparently slipped and fell.

Derrick Holmes in August 2011. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the strangest things about Derrick's passing was that I visited him the same month he died. He certainly looked healthy to me, and he was also in great spirits. I'd always assumed that whatever happened must have been an accident, but I wasn't able to get any confirmation until about a year and a half ago.

Derrick Holmes poses with Jon Gallock, who appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), in November 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Although I'd been in contact with Derrick electronically for years prior to my move to Japan, we only met twice -- once in Roppongi in August 2011 and the second time in was around Shinjuku in November 2012. In my writeup of the second meeting on this blog, I wrote: "All in all, it was a great time with a good friend. We ought to get together more often!" Sigh.

With Derrick Holmes in August 2011.

The first time we met, Derrick showed me around Roppongi. Despite the area's reputation, it was good clean fun all the way. 

I made a video of my hanging out with Derrick, which you can watch here.

Seeing Derrick on the big screen brought back so many memories, and I did want to post an update to give the people who knew and loved him some closure in case they didn't know what happened. 

Below are a couple of other photos from my collection.

The two thumbs up above say it all.

RIP, my good friend.