Growing up, Luke Javellana ’21 was always drawn to movies and the performing arts, though his early experience was mostly in musical theatre. It wasn’t until he joined the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts theatre program that his understanding of acting began to deepen.

“We were going into Russian plays, we were going into French plays. It was just a whole different world that I didn’t even realize, and I fell in love with theatre because of that,” Javellana said.

Today, Javellana is landing roles in major television productions, including the Disney+ series “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” and FOX’s “Rescue: HI-Surf” — and he credits Mid-Pacific for laying the foundation that made it all possible.

Javellana’s journey began at a young age, when his parents enrolled him in a summer theatre program at Diamond Head Theatre. Someone there mentioned that Mid-Pacific had a strong performing arts program. Encouraged by the recommendation, he applied and was accepted.

He entered Mid-Pacific in the seventh grade, and over time, the school also became home to several other family members, making his years at Mid-Pacific even more special. One of his younger brothers graduated just a year after him and his sister is currently a student. Their father, Mr. Nathan Javellana, is a middle school science teacher.

At Mid-Pacific, Javellana performed in several MPSA productions, but he names “Tartuffe” as his favorite performance because it challenged him as an actor and also gave him the chance to play a villain, a role he found far more interesting than playing the hero.

“That character was so much fun,” he said. “It was hard because it’s an old French play and then translated into older English still … so it was a challenge to translate that meaning to the audience that might not understand it on paper. But if you put up the right emotions and expressions behind it, the message still comes through.”

Javellana also credits one of his Mid-Pacific acting teachers with encouraging him to take a crucial next step: getting an agent. That advice led to his first major role — Spyder in “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.,” which he booked near the end of high school.

In addition to theatre, Javellana also studied film at Mid-Pacific, a pivotal experience for him. His biggest project was a year-long short film assignment, culminating in a school-wide film festival at Bakken Auditorium.

“That was the first time I officially saw myself on screen in a theater,” Javellana said. “I was like, this is awesome. And so that’s what really opened my eyes to going into film.”

It was then he realized he loved not only acting but also directing and writing. After graduating, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he starred in and produced several award-winning short films.

“I just want to be as close to the art as possible,” Javellana said. “If I’m going to make a film, I’m going to write a role where I’m in it so that I can be on both sides of the camera.”

Soon after, he returned home to Hawai‘i — just in time to be cast as Carter, a recurring lifeguard character in “Rescue: HI-Surf.”

Javellana’s next goal is to land a role in a movie. Long term, he hopes to gain enough experience to bring his own projects to life.

“I want to get to a point where I can have enough influence, I’ve met enough people that I can put a project together on my own and make something myself,” Javellana said.

In the meantime, he offers this advice to those pursuing a career in television: keep creating, keep showing up, and stay open to every opportunity that comes your way. It’s a mindset that echoes Mid-Pacific’s vision to empower students to thrive with confidence, adaptability, and integrity — qualities that have guided him through the highs and lows of the entertainment industry.

“You’ll hear a lot of nos before you get your first yes,” he said, recalling the many auditions he went through before landing “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D..” “But if you stay resilient and keep pushing, the right opportunity will come. Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding on long enough to strike gold.”