Background
VanOver was born in Loma Linda, California. His father, James Otto “Jim” VanOver, is a Muay Thai trainer and university professor, and his mother, Geni Elizabeth King, is an auditory-sensory integration therapist.
VanOver was born in Loma Linda, California. His father, James Otto “Jim” VanOver, is a Muay Thai trainer and university professor, and his mother, Geni Elizabeth King, is an auditory-sensory integration therapist.
He has a black belt in Shorin-Ryu and he has been known to perform with various local Los Angeles bands, playing a number of instruments including the saxophone, clarinet, and harmonica. VanOver attended Serrano High School in Phelan, California before receiving a football scholarship to attend Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. In 2001, he graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts and returned to California to pursue an acting career.
He has had several guest starring roles in popular television series including Cold Case, NCIS: Los Angeles, Psychology, Laboratory Rats, and Mighty Medical
On July 22, 2015, VanOver made a special appearance in a series crossover episode of Laboratory Rats as the Mighty Medical superhero, "Tecton."
VanOver was set to portray George Washington in Father of His Country, a film by Ron Maxwell, the director of Gettysburg, before funding issues forced the project to be cancelled. He also co-starred as super agent “Ray Harris” in the television movie Strawberry Summer and as movie star “Bobby Savage” in the digital series Chasing the Hill.
In a voice-over role, VanOver lent his voice to the post-apocalyptic creatures of the film I Am Legend starring Will Smith, which was released in 2007.