John Emmett Whitney was born on September 24, 1989 in Beverly, Massachusetts, and raised in neighboring Danvers. His mother, Ursula Therese (Freddura) is a licensed dietitian and nutrition consultant. His father, Joseph Mullaney, is a mechanical contractor. He is of Irish, Italian, and English descent. John has an older brother, Samuel, and a younger sister, Olivia. John attended high school at St. John's Prep in Danvers, where he was a Catholic Conference All-Star in football and a US Lacrosse All-American in lacrosse as a senior (2008). John found theatre as a sophomore at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY after a back injury sidelined him from the football and lacrosse fields. He went on to graduate with a B.A. in Theatre and Government (2012). John then received his MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (2015). John can be seen next in the feature film, Lust Life, alongside Stephanie Sellars, Bill Irwin & Jake Choi.