# Derk Cheetwood
**Derk Cheetwood** (born 1973 in Bowling Green, Ohio) is an American actor best known for playing Max Giambetti, bodyguard and driver to mob boss [Sonny Corinthos](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonny-corinthos), on the ABC soap opera *General Hospital*, a role he held from 2002.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154934/) • [2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/) His film credits include *The Postman* (1997), *U-571* (2000), and *Frailty* (2001).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154934/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154934/) |
| Signature role | Max Giambetti on *General Hospital*, from 2002; TVmaze credits him with 364 episodes in the role[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/4927/derk-cheetwood) |
| Notable films | *The Postman* (1997, as Carrier Twelve), *U-571* (2000, as Seaman Herb Griggs), *Frailty* (2001, as Agent Griffin Hull)[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/derk-cheetwood?context.unit=H) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/derk_cheetwood) |
| Family ties | Older brother of actor Drew Cheetwood, who plays his on-screen brother Milo; cousin of actor Tyler Christopher[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/) • [6](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2031323/) |
| Marriage | Married Cari Costner, Kevin Costner's niece, on August 5, 2006[7](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/07/one-time-at-fan-camp-derk-cheetwood) |
| Active years | 1995 to present, beginning with a 1995 guest spot on *Brotherly Love*[7](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/07/one-time-at-fan-camp-derk-cheetwood) • [8](https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/derk-cheetwood) |
## General Hospital
Cheetwood joined *General Hospital* in 2002 as Max Giambetti, a bodyguard and driver for Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan who fiercely protected their families, including Sonny's sons Michael and Morgan.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/) The character had a longtime crush on Carly, whom he called Mrs. C, before dating the mob attorney Diane Miller; the two later split up.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/)
**A real-life family on screen.** Max's on-screen younger brother Milo Giambetti is played by Cheetwood's real-life younger brother Drew Cheetwood, who joined the show in 2006.[2](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/) The brothers are also cousins of [Tyler Christopher](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-christopher-actor), who played Nikolas Cassadine on the same series.[6](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2031323/) TVmaze's episode listing counts 364 credited appearances as Max, many of them uncredited in later years.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/4927/derk-cheetwood)
## Film and television roles
Before *General Hospital*, Cheetwood built a career in guest parts. He described a 1995 appearance in an episode of *Brotherly Love* as his big break, followed in 1996 by guest spots on *Beverly Hills, 90210* and *Something So Right*, and later episodes of *JAG*, *Ally McBeal*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *[Medium](https://www.edgepedia.org/medium-tv-series)*, and *Desperate Housewives*.[7](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/07/one-time-at-fan-camp-derk-cheetwood) Other guest roles include Jarrod Stahl on *The Shield*, Kevin on *Moonlight*, Sammy Farnsworth on *NightMan*, Junior on *[3rd Rock from the Sun](https://www.edgepedia.org/3rd-rock-from-the-sun)*, Jeb Haas on *The Mentalist*, and a police officer on *Masters of Sex*.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/person/derk-cheetwood/)
His film work centers on three features. In [Kevin Costner](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-costner)'s *The Postman* (1997) he played Carrier Twelve; in the submarine thriller *U-571* (2000) he played Seaman Herb Griggs alongside [Matthew McConaughey](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-mcconaughey); and in [Bill Paxton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-paxton)'s *Frailty* (2001) he played FBI Agent Griffin Hull, again opposite McConaughey, in a thriller about the hunt for a serial killer.[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/derk-cheetwood?context.unit=H) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/derk_cheetwood) • [10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frailty/cast-and-crew) He also appeared as Sgt. Summers in *Rain* (2001) and as Robert "Tank" Dyer in *Finding Kelly*.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/derk_cheetwood) On TNT's *The Last Ship* he guest-starred as Lt. Pete Norris in three episodes across the first two seasons (2014 to 2015).[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/4927/derk-cheetwood)
## Beyond acting
In 2010 Cheetwood and his *General Hospital* co-star Steve Burton, who had been roommates, published *Soap Dishes: The Cookbook*, a self-published collaboration of recipes and behind-the-scenes photographs from soap actors, with proceeds tied to charity.[11](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/taste-buds-0/) Cheetwood said he had grown up cooking with his mother and loved to barbecue.[11](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/taste-buds-0/) A 2024 podcast interview describes a later career change: he moved to Tennessee and reinvented himself as a real estate developer with a New Again Houses franchise.[12](https://music.amazon.it/podcasts/64ad0c26-afac-446f-bc7b-34d407416e3e/episodes/27d54b52-ab2d-457e-b82b-f9305872eb84/find-a-way-with-matt-lavinder-16-hollywood-actor-to-tennessee-real-estate-mogul)
## Personal life
Cheetwood married Cari Costner, a niece of his *The Postman* co-star Kevin Costner, on August 5, 2006.[7](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/07/one-time-at-fan-camp-derk-cheetwood) Sources disagree on the number of their children: IMDb states they have one child,[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154934/) while Who's Dated Who lists three, Kylie Danielle (born 2008), Audrey (born 2010), and Cody Maclean (born 2015).[8](https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/derk-cheetwood)
## References
1. [Derk Cheetwood, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154934/)
2. [What Happened to Max and Milo on General Hospital, Soap Opera Digest (March 29, 2023)](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/max-milo-general-hospital-derk-drew-cheetwood-157831/)
3. [Derk Cheetwood, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/4927/derk-cheetwood)
4. [Derk Cheetwood, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/derk-cheetwood?context.unit=H)
5. [Derk Cheetwood, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/derk_cheetwood)
6. [Derk Cheetwood, elCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2031323/)
7. [One Time at Fan Camp: Derk Cheetwood, Soap Opera Network (July 26, 2009)](https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2009/07/one-time-at-fan-camp-derk-cheetwood)
8. [Derk Cheetwood dating history, Who's Dated Who](https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/derk-cheetwood)
9. [Derk Cheetwood, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/derk-cheetwood/)
10. [Frailty Cast and Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frailty/cast-and-crew)
11. [Taste Buds: Steve Burton and Derk Cheetwood on Soap Dishes: The Cookbook, Soap Opera Digest (2010)](https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/taste-buds-0/)
12. [Hollywood Actor to Tennessee Real Estate Mogul, Find A Way with Matt Lavinder podcast (2024)](https://music.amazon.it/podcasts/64ad0c26-afac-446f-bc7b-34d407416e3e/episodes/27d54b52-ab2d-457e-b82b-f9305872eb84/find-a-way-with-matt-lavinder-16-hollywood-actor-to-tennessee-real-estate-mogul)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Ch to Cl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license