| Jilon VanOver | |
| Birth Date: | 24 August 1978 |
| Birth Name: | Jilon Ghai VanOver |
| Birth Place: | Loma Linda, California, United States |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2002-present |
Jilon Ghai VanOver (/‘ʒɪloʊn ‘gaɪ ‘vænoʊvər/; born August 24, 1978)[1] is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of "Ransom Bray" in the History Channel’s Emmy Award winning miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys, as well as "Tecton" in the Disney XD Original Series, Mighty Med.[2] [3] [4]
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 was raised in the high desert of Baldy Mesa, California, with his older sister, Guebri, and three younger brothers, Gaven, Jamiel, and Jerid.
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.[5] [6]
He has had several guest starring roles in popular television series including Cold Case, , Psych, Lab Rats, and Mighty Med.[7] [8] [9] On July 22, 2015, VanOver made a special appearance in a series crossover episode of Lab Rats as the Mighty Med superhero, "Tecton."[10]
In 2013, VanOver portrayed “Lucas Holst,” an Amish farmer in the Lifetime movie, An Amish Murder,[11] opposite Neve Campbell and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal.[12] He also co-starred as super agent “Ray Harris” in the television movie Strawberry Summer[13] and as movie star “Bobby Savage” in the digital series Chasing the Hill.[14] [15]
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.[16]