John DeLuca has always known he wanted to be an entertainer. Raised in the small town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, DeLuca fueled his creative passions through various high school theater productions where he honed his acting technique. When he was cast as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, DeLuca’s love for acting was affirmed and he knew that pursuing a career in the entertainment industry would require him to leave the comfort of his home in Massachusetts. DeLuca is best known for his role as "Butchy" in Disney Channel's smash-hit DCOM's Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2. He can currently be seen in a recurring role on General Hospital.

RAINE: Acting is obviously your passion, when did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?DELUCA: When I was a kid, I always loved being in front of a crowd and loved to entertain people. At one point I was sitting at home watching TV with my mom as a little kid, and I was like, “So how do these people get in the TV?” She explained that they were actors and that that’s what they did for a living. I think as soon as I knew that you could do that for a living, it was kind of always in the back of my head that that’s what I was going to do.

RAINE: What challenges have you faced while building your portfolio as an actor?DELUCA: It’s a very difficult, very competitive business. I think I have the same challenge as everybody else: standing out and making a name for myself. There are so many people trying to do the exact same thing as me, so many guys fighting for the same roles that I am. That can be discouraging but you just have to fight through it, stay focused, and trust that the right things will happen for you.

RAINE: What are some goals that you have outside of your acting career?DELUCA: I want to get to a place where I can give back in a big way. Not just to my family and friends who have helped me along the way, but to society in general.

Image courtesy of Danny HernandezGrooming Monica Chicas

Read the full interview in Volume 25 of Raine Magazine. Click HERE.