been 12 years old, and my mom told me I couldn’t watch that show,” Luke says. “And now I’m acting in it.” Degrassi focuses on the real issues of teenagers in the 21st century: sexual abuse, pregnancy, drug abuse, child abuse, peer pressure and self-image, among many others. The show has since won over 50 awards such as The Teen Choice Awards, International Emmy Awards and Gemini Awards. Luke plays Drew Torres, a stereotypical popular, attractive athlete at Degrassi. He plays basketball, football and is skilled in mixed martial arts. While working on a dramatic television series, Luke’s character was placed in a plethora of situations. He says some of the scenes, like his on-screen brother’s death, require preparation accurately depict the emotions. “As an actor, you need to place yourself in that position,” he explains. “You need to feel what your character feels.” Death is a difficult concept to grasp and direct reactions are challenging to portray. For Luke, he believes these scenes are easier to film when working with extremely talented co-stars. He lists season 11 as his favorite. “I got beat up, joined a fight club, broke up with my girlfriend and went through two and a half weeks of intensive martial arts training,” he says. In the five years Luke has spent on the Degrassi set, Drew’s character has transformed. As his character has grown, the show’s writers have also grown to understand Luke’s abilities as an actor and have written to his strengths. “I’ve played with guns, done ‘shrooms, joined a fight club, my brother died,” Luke says, listing a few of his experiences on the set of Degrassi. “I’ve done many physical scenes that actors crave for, which is extremely lucky for me.” A handful of television shows cast older actors to play teenagers, but that isn’t the case with Degrassi. “We do cast age-appropriate characters,
and I think that’s what makes us so different from everyone else,” Luke says. In his shoes, heading to work isn’t even work. He shows up, reads his lines and hangs out with his best friends. When Luke entered the show at age 15, the directors and cameramen treated him like a professional actor because of his skills and not his age. “I never got the perspective of how great it was until I worked with older actors, and I was treated like a kid rather than an adult,” Luke says, laughing. Now, he wants to leave the Degrassi set as exactly that, an adult. When thinking about his eventual departure, Luke reflects on the advice he’d give to the actors of “the next generation.” “My character has evolved so much,” he says. “It helps to know where you’re going, especially when you know where the show has been.” Degrassi is known to lack boundaries and continually pushes the envelope season after season. “I hope Drew starts to become a man, which is hard for a teenage boy to do,” Luke says. Drew is constantly struggling to prove himself, but he screws up over and over again “He shouldn’t be taking the easy way out, which is something he’s always done in the past,” Luke says about his hopes for Drew, who will no longer be a Degrassi character at the end of the 14th season. Luke has watched 20 cast members graduate, and now it’s his turn. He’ll be simultaneously filming another show in Toronto while wrapping up his final season. He’s set to star in The CW’s Lost Girl, where he’s hoping to work for the next year. Luke is moving forward with his acting career, and his experience on Degrassi has made him selective about his future in the business. He references Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp — all of whom took their acting career by the reins during their late teenage years. Luke, now 20, hopes to do the same.
“It’s all about picking the right roles, getting in front of the right people and having the right people to push you,” he says. Luke is picky about other projects. Although he doesn’t have a say in his entire career, he chooses his auditions wisely. He has turned down various projects because he was conscious of the path he’d be going down. “Some roles weren’t steps backwards for me, but steps to the side,” Luke says. “And if you don’t land something right after your time on Degrassi, the chances of you landing something else are quite slim.” Luke, who has been prominently recognized as one character, repeatedly asks himself, ‘Can I be seen as someone other than Drew?’ He briefly mentions a movie deal he has been offered, but doesn’t go into detail. “This new character is so risqué,” Luke says. “I come from a traditional, Christian background, so it may not seem proper for me to step out like that.” Regardless of his next role, he just wants to find work. After his time on Degrassi, Luke will venture out of Canada and begin seeking work elsewhere. He has lived with his parents since he was born and now, the youngest of the Bilyk clan is preparing for life on his own. “My mom has to comprehend that her baby boy is growing up,” Luke says, laughing. “It’s nice to go out to L.A. and be a fresh face that doesn’t know anyone.” Luke hasn’t been a “fresh face” in years. He doesn’t view this as a downfall, but rather, an exercise. Building a new name is critical in an actor’s transition into adulthood. Luke is nervous, but he says, “Nervous is good.” It’s been an exciting five years in Luke’s life. He’s played a major character on a major Canadian television show with some of the country’s best actors. But now, he’s ready for the next stage of his acting career. “Sometimes I look back,” he says. “There’s nothing I would change.” NKD NKDMAG.COM
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