Biography
Date of Birth
25 December 1991, Houston, Texas, USA
Nickname
Tony Oller
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini Biography
Tony Oller was born February 25, 1991 in Taylorville, Illinois and raised in Houston, Texas. He has been acting and singing since age 9. He has numerous commercial, film and voice over credits prior to his more prominent series regular roles on TeenNick ("Gigantic") and The Disney Channel ("As The Bell Rings"). He began his career in Houston where he resided until his move to Los Angeles at age 18. From age 12 he began frequent commutes to L.A. for his budding career while balancing his public school education and home life in Houston. He opted to defer college for one year to try to further his career. He found the success he was working for when he booked a lead role in the television series "Gigantic" five weeks after his move to L.A. He has since starred in multiple film and television projects including leading roles opposite Ethan Hawke ("The Purge") and Dennis Quaid ("Beneath The Darkness").
His stage credits include Billy in The Alley Theater's (Houston, TX) 2003 Equity production of "Sherlock Holmes", a role once played by a young Charlie Chaplin in his theatrical debut. Tony was 12 years old and the only child in the cast. He performed 30 consecutive shows without an understudy for the role. During his first pilot season in L.A. in 2004 he landed an Equity role in the first theater collaboration by FOX TV and Naked Angels Theater Group (comically named "Naked TV") at the Edgemar Theater in Santa Monica. Tony was one of only three children (including Lucas Till and Marc John Jeffries) cast among 43 talented Los Angeles actors in the performances. Other stage credits include an award winning performance as Billy Flynn in "Chicago" and lead roles in "Grease", "Oliver" and "The Nutcracker".
Although often proclaiming that acting is his life, he has an equal love of music. His singing talents have won contests and earned guest performances on three television shows. He was a Jr. Singer contestant on "Star Search" in Hollywood (2003, age 12), an Apollo 'Star of Tomorrow' guest singer on "It's Showtime At The Apollo" in New York City (2002, age 11) and an invited guest singer on "The Jenny Jones Show Christmas Special" in Chicago (2002, age 11). He is a singer/songwriter/musician who has been writing and performing his own original lyrics for many years, including a band he formed at age 16 called "The Horizon". He made his live performance debut in L.A. on June 29, 2010 at The House of Blues on The Sunset Strip for a charity benefit. His performance included his solo rendition with piano of his original song "Change The World".
In March 2012 he signed with Columbia Records and recorded one album for the label with his band MKTO. MKTO is a pop/rap duo with Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller who first met on the set of their TeenNick show "Gigantic" where they played best friends before becoming best friends. MKTO stands for their initials as well as "Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts" which describes how they often felt in high school. Their debut single "Thank You" was released in January 2013 and is certified Quadruple Platinum in sales & reached #2 on the ARIA charts in Australia. Their hit single "Classic" was released July 2013 and received numerous worldwide certifications including Platinum certification in the U.S. That hit song continues it's worldwide popularity with their music video having garnered over 200 million views. "Classic" became a viral dance challenge sensation on TikTok in 2021-22 and continues to be a classic favorite song among worldwide listeners of all ages. MKTO's U.S./Australia/New Zealand first headlining tour commenced in March 2013. When their debut album was released in January 2014, it reached #1 within 8 hours of it's release. In the U.S. their self-titled debut album released on April 1, 2014. MKTO began it's first U.S. headlining tour, their "American Dream Tour" in 31 cities starting June 27, 2014. Following their tour, they accompanied Demi Lovato as openers on the U.S./Canada portion of her Demi World Tour in 25 cities. (It was a reunion of sorts for Tony and Demi who first worked together as Disney actors on "As The Bell Rings".) In 2015 MKTO released their EP "Bad Girls" which also includes their singles "Monaco", "Afraid of the Dark" and "Just Imagine It" a soulful song of hope for humanity. In July 2016 they released their music video for their song "Superstitious".
They were guest performers of Taylor Swift on her "1989" tour at Gillette Stadium (July 2015). She introduced them as one of her favorite bands & their hit song "Classic" as one of her favorite songs which she sang along with them to a sold out crowd of over 60,000 people. They consider this the biggest and most memorable highlight of their career to date.
MKTO amicably parted ways with Columbia Records in 2018. They feel forever grateful to Columbia for giving them their musical start and for so many incredible opportunities and experiences all over the world. After their two year hiatus from recording and performing, they proudly signed with the hit-making record label BMG Nashville and top talent agency ICM Partners for representation in all areas worldwide. Their hotly anticipated return to the pop music scene commences with their new single & music video for "How Can I Forget" (September 7, 2018).
Tony is classically trained in voice and piano, plays guitar and saxophone, and is an accomplished self-taught drummer. In his elementary years, he studied tap dance and ballet. As a teen, he was a member of a hip-hop performance team and has studied urban dance from masters Wade Robson and Shane Sparks.
He sang in his TV series "Gigantic" as his character Walt who aspires to be a professional singer/musician (2010). When he was still a Houston public high school student, he starred in both seasons of the Disney show "As The Bell Rings" where he demonstrated his singing and dancing skills. He recorded several original songs & music videos for the series including one with his co-star Demi Lovato who also began her Disney career on "As The Bell Rings". Also during his high school years, he recorded three original songs in London, England at the famed Olympic Studios in collaboration with the popular British band McFly for an EPK (2008). During his senior year, he traveled to Kristiansand, Norway and Nashville, Tennessee for two other independent recording and music video projects (2009). In Norway he collaborated with Swedish teen singer Vendela Palmgren and British teen singer Naomi Biggins on a multi-platform project titled Zoovolution produced by Todd Macadangdang. Their songs "All I Need", "Live Without You" and "Follow Your Heart" are available on iTunes. In Nashville, he starred as a celebrity crush in teen singer Savannah Outen's music video for her song "If You Only Knew", produced by Grammy Award winner Keith Thomas.
He was appointed as a Youth Ambassador for Variety Magazine's "Power of Youth" beginning in 2008, part of the new generation of young performers given the opportunity to change the world and inspire others by lending support to various charitable causes such as St. Jude Hospital Children's Hospital, LA's BEST and the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Tony's goal is a lifelong dual career in acting and music.
Trivia
Studied comedy and improvisation at The Groundlings Theater, Los Angeles in the teen class with then-unknown fellow students Ashley Tisdale and her sister Jennifer Tisdale (2004).
He and his father share a love of Ford Mustangs and Major League Baseball. Both drive Mustangs and his father is a member of The Mustang Club of Houston. Even though they hail from Houston, Texas their favorite team is the San Francisco Giants. Tony played on various baseball leagues for 11 years, from T-ball to 18U, sometimes coached by his Dad who trained him to be a left-handed batter. His favorite positions are pitcher and right field.
Studied karate in his youth and earned 4 belts. During this time he also studied hip-hop dance with Wade Robson and Shane Sparks. Was a proud member of Planet Funk's "Slam Squad" performance dance troupe as a young teen. Began tap dance in his daycare program at age 4 and continued for several years.
Has facial dimples, a cleft chin and a small mole on his upper right forehead that is affectionately referred to as his "handsome mark". Has a rare set of double dimples on his left cheek.
Began playing saxophone (alto and tenor) in the 6th grade Campbell Middle School band. Played for four years and was a proud member of his high school marching band in his freshman year at Cy-Ridge High. Also is an accomplished drummer. He attended Houston public schools and maintained high grades while actively involved in many school activities (Baseball, Drama, Key Club, Spanish club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Higher Dimensions, Senior Men, Bobcat TV [BCTV] camera operator and film editor).
Since 2004 he has dreamed of creating and managing his own independent record label.
Received Cy-Ridge High School's "Best Leading Actor" award for his portrayal of Billy Flynn in "Chicago". This production was part of The Tommy Tune Awards Program sponsored by Houston's Theater Under The Stars.
Was a 2006-2007 member of the teen film making program called Cross Wind Productions which creates films for teens on relevant issues while providing faith-based solutions to problems. The group of a dozen hand-selected Houston-area teens participated in this year-long project where they learned every aspect of film making and were taught by industry professionals. Their goal was to produce one short film and one feature length film during the course of the program. All roles of film making from actor to gaffer to grip are performed by the teens in the making of these professional-quality films.
He started a belt buckle collection and has over 80 in his collection. He wore many of them in his Disney Channel show "As The Bell Rings".
He owns two Italian greyhound dogs named TIG and Snoopy. TIG's name is an acronym which stands for Tony's Italian Greyhound. He was Tony's first dog and was Tony's biggest fan. TIG stared adoringly at Tony when he practiced his music and rehearsed lines. TIG suffered from a rare condition called Addison's disease which required a monthly injection to keep him alive. Interestingly, TIG shared this medical history with former U.S. President John F. Kennedy who secretly suffered from Addison's disease.His other dog Snoopy's full name is Snoop Doggy Dog because Tony adopted him shortly after auditioning for "Soul Plane" starring rap singer Snoop Dogg.
Wore his own tap shoes in a clog dancing scene in "As The Bell Rings". The taps were removed because they interfered with sound recording during production. The dance ultimately was changed from traditional clog dancing to an improvised form for more comedic effect. To prepare for that scene Tony had taken a clogging class in Houston so he included some clogging as well as tap movements in his improvised dance.
Enjoys making amateur short films. Some of his work can be found on YouTube under his moniker MuscleT.
Named one of Teen Magazine's "50 Hottest Male Stars" in their Winter 2007 and Winter 2008 issues.
Featured newcomer in PopStar! Magazine's January 2008 issue. He appeared on the cover as "Disney's New Heart Throb" and on a poster inside. Is regularly featured in all of the teen magazines. He was selected for Popstar's "Win A Date" ("with Tony Oller") contest. His very creative video announcement of the winner appeared on Popstar! Magazine's website and MySpace on April 15, 2008. A photo chronicle of Tony and his date's two-part adventure appeared in in the Sept. 2008 issue of Popstar! Magazine. Tony fulfilled the winner's wish for him to be her date for her Prom. Because she also loves Disneyland, he doubled her wish by also taking her to Disneyland the following day.
Featured in Cosmo Girl Magazine's "Hot 100" list, Summer 2008.
Appointed as a 2008 Youth Ambassador for the St. Jude Hospital Power of Youth event benefiting St. Jude Children's Cancer & Research Hospital. One of 60 recognized young performers chosen to be on the committee as the next generation of support for St. Jude. St. Jude has largely been supported by performers since actor Danny Thomas founded the hospital in 1962 as a promise of repayment to St. Jude for answering his desperate prayers for success when he was a struggling young performer. Danny Thomas' mission was that no child and family would ever have to pay for treatment and no one ever has. Today his mission is carried on by his children Marlo, Tony and Terry Thomas.
Earned his letterman jacket for Radio & TV in his senior year at Cy-Fair High School. Received this recognition for his work filming and editing school events for BCTV (Bobcat TV, his school's media channel).
As a child he enjoyed putting on creative puppet shows for his friends after seeing a school production featuring the Carranza Puppets of Houston. He had a puppet theater crafted by his mother.
2009 graduate of Cy-Fair High School, Houston, Texas. He graduated with honors in Debate. Decided to defer college for one year so he could further pursue his entertainment career. He moved to Los Angeles at the end of August 2009 and booked his series regular role on "Gigantic" five weeks later.
Attended John Muir Middle School in Burbank, CA in 7th grade (home of the Mustangs and the motto "Famous for Friendliness") during his first pilot season in 2004. He played alto saxophone in the school band and continues to remain friends with several of his fellow students.After school he would go on auditions, take acting classes, hip hop dance classes at The Millennium, and do his homework at night. He took teen comedy improv classes at The Groundlings on Saturdays. When he was cast in a FOX staged pilot project in Santa Monica, he spent 8 weeks on the project, from stage rehearsals to final theater show, happily juggling his acting duties during his after-school hours.
He is an only child and has a close relationship with his parents Jeff and Mary Anne who like to call him "Buddy". His parents have been happily married for 37 years. His father is an IT Project Manager for an oil and gas services company. His mother worked part time as a school bus driver during his formative years, allowing her the time and flexibility to help with his education and manage his career. She also served as his clothing stylist. She now works as an accountant for a privately held retail grocer and specialty foods business.
He is a classically trained singer who began voice lessons for musical theater performances starting at age 10. He is a tenor trained in belt and pop style. Tony has written and recorded dozens of his original songs.
Attended Emmott Elementary, Campbell Middle School, Cy-Ridge High School (freshman year) and Cy-Fair High School (Class of '09) in Houston, Texas.
Enjoys regularly working out at his favorite L.A. gym. He has a personal trainer to help him with his fitness goals.
Attended acting classes at age 13 with Shailene Woodley and Scout Taylor-Compton at Young Actors Space in Van Nuys, CA. He and Scout also took hip hop dance classes at The Millennium Dance Complex. In 2010 Scout Taylor-Compton starred as his love interest in Tony Oller's music video "Someone Like You", also featuring Lucas Till.
Made his L.A. singing debut with his live performance at The House of Blues on The Sunset Strip on June 29, 2010. He was invited to perform at a red carpet charity event called Love Spill organized and hosted by actress/singer Zoe Myers. All proceeds benefited the wildlife affected by the Gulf oil spill. He and his back up band performed two pop cover songs and he also performed his new original song "Change the World" acoustically on piano. The song, which was perfect for the cause, can be heard on his YouTube site.
He joined Boy Scouts as a Tiger Cub in Kindergarten. He achieved the Second Class rank in Boy Scouts. He honored the Boy Scout oath which emphasizes God, country, strength and morals. He enjoyed camping with his fellow scouts, his dad and all the fathers. His mother served as his troop's Popcorn Colonel for popcorn sales. Tony put scouting on hold to spend more time on his acting career.
Formed an independent film company in 2010 called Imperial Vantage with a filmmaker friend.
Is the only American actor to have had lead roles in shows on rival youth networks. He began his television career on a Disney comedy short series but was later picked up and developed by Nickelodeon for a 30 minute dramedy series on Teen Nick.
One of his best friends is actor Lucas Till. He and Lucas first met and worked together in 2004 at age 13 during their first pilot season trips to LA. They were both cast in a FOX staged pilot presentation project. Five years later, after both had moved to Los Angeles to further pursue their careers, they resumed their friendship when they ran into each other at an audition.
Screen tested for the role of "Cameron" in the ABC Family series "10 Things I Hate About You". [2008]
Screen tested for the role of "Travis" in the ABC series "Cougar Town". [2009]
Screen tested for the role of "Jimmy" in "High School Musical 3". [2008]
Recorded three songs at the famed Olympic Studios in London, England in 2008 with the members of the award winning British pop rock band McFly. They recorded in the same studio where iconic artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix recorded their albums.
He is a classically trained singer, a tenor trained in belt and pop.
Held two short-lived jobs while in high school. He was a cashier at a hardware store where he also learned to assemble wheelbarrows (his record was 8 assembled in one day). His other job was at a children's indoor inflatable playground where he supervised wild children, was a birthday party host and was also assigned to clean toilets. The second job had it's perks as he received a small pay bonus because of the extra business he brought in by being a Disney star.
His role in "Beneath the Darkness" was a direct offer. Director Martin Guigui said that it was actually while reviewing some of Oller's music videos that he knew that Oller would have the acting depth necessary for the lead role in this feature film, a thriller slated for January 6, 2012 release.
Composed and recorded an original song titled "Love Me" which can be heard in a scene in his feature film "Beneath The Darkness" (release date Jan 6, 2012). His full song will also be included in the movie soundtrack CD.
Was one of over 2,000 hopefuls in Houston, Texas who auditioned for "Star Search" in 2003. He was one of only two performers selected from the Houston group to go to Hollywood. He was 12 years old and in the Junior Singer category (the other selected performer was an adult in the Comedian category). He survived the cuts while in Hollywood and became a contestant on the live show. His performance garnered rave reviews by judges Naomi Judd, Ben Stein, Ahmet Zappa and Wayne Brady but he ultimately scored 2 points lower than the young female singer whom he competed against. Such was the fate of singers Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles and Brittany Spears who also came in a close second as Jr. Singer contestants on "Star Search".
He and his friend and "Gigantic" co-star Malcolm David Kelley have both played characters named Walt. Tony was 'Walt' on the TV series "Gigantic" and Malcolm played 'Walt' on the TV series "Lost".
His first feature film audition was at age 10 for the role of Dennis Quaid's son in "The Rookie". He had high hopes of acting alongside Dennis Quaid but didn't book the role. Nine years later he got the opportunity when he was cast as the lead in the 2012 feature film thriller "Beneath The Darkness" starring opposite Dennis Quaid.
Member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). [2011]
Tony and former "Gigantic" co-star Malcolm David Kelley are recording a music album together with Boardwalk Entertainment Group producer Evan "Kidd" Bogart in conjunction with Emanuel Kiriakou. They signed a recording and touring deal with Columbia Records in March 2012.They named their band MKTO which is both their initials and an acronym for Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts. Their first single "Thank You" and music video will be released by Columbia Records in January 2013. This pop/rap anthem, written by Oller and Kelley, is anticipated to resonate loudly among their generation. [2012]
Screen tested for the lead role of "Carter" in the ABC series "Dark Horse" (FKA "Antichrist") produced by Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser and Mark Gordon. [2012].
Formed his own entertainment company at age 21 (Oller Entertainment, Inc., LLC).
As the Houston winner of The Apollo Theater's nine city tour searching for Apollo's "Star of Tomorrow", he was flown to New York City to be a guest singer on the famed Apollo Theater stage in Harlem. He was 11 years old when he sang "I Think She Likes Me" to a warm and cheering Apollo crowd who clapped along to his song. Queen Latifah also performed (as a rapper with her band Flavor Unit) on that same episode of "Showtime At The Apollo" and he enjoyed chatting with her and her father backstage. The show was hosted by comedienne/actress Mo'Nique who was charmed by Tony who gave her with a glass heart after his performance. Mo'Nique jokingly called him a "little player" after receiving her gift which elicited much laughter from the crowd. He has said that his Apollo gig will always be remembered as one of his most favorite performances.
After seeing Tony on "Showtime At The Apollo", the producers of "The Jenny Jones Show" invited Tony to Chicago to perform on their Christmas Eve Special featuring young performers. Jenny Jones (who was once a young performer herself), was wowed by his performance and predicted he would go far in the entertainment business. One of the other young acts who performed on the same episode were the R&B band of five brothers named B5.
Los Angeles, CA, USA: Filming the Michael Bay produced feature film "The Purge" (formerly titled "Vigilandia"), co-starring with Ethan Hawke. . Released May 31, 2013. [February 2012]
Worked with Meryl Streep's daughter Grace Gummer on the TV series "Gigantic" where they played brother and sister.
Tony Oller & Malcolm Kelley (as MKTO) in Sydney & Melbourne Australia for live radio promos and performances. Their debut single "Thank You" reached Gold then Platinum status in Australia during their visit. They were presented Gold & Platinum awards from Sony Records commemorating their significant achievement. Sony Australia expects "Thank You" to go Triple Platinum there. To date, their single has reached #2 on the ARIA charts. [March 2013]
Austin, TX, USA: Filming "Beneath The Darkness" with Dennis Quaid [November 2010]
Southern California music tour. MKTO's first show opened for music group Emblem 3 at The Roxy in Los Angeles on February 27, 2013. [February 2013]
Musical opening act (as MKTO)for The X-Factor finalists Emblem 3. MKTO performed shows in L.A., Pomona & San Diego, CA, Philadelphia and New York City. [February 2013]
Los Angeles, CA: Recording the debut album for his band MKTO (Columbia Records), shooting debut music video, planning their first tour. [July 2012]
Tony Oller & Malcolm Kelley's (as MKTO) debut album "Role Models" is completed. The band is preparing for more touring. In addition, the trailer for Tony Oller's upcoming film (5/31) "The Purge" was released. [April 2013]
Los Angeles, CA, USA: Filming TV series "Gigantic" for TeenNick [October 2009]
[2018] MKTO is recording new music with their new label BMG. Their first single through their new partnership is "How Can I Forget" slated for worldwide release on September 7, 2018.
MKTO's debut single song "Classic" is certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA for sales of 1 million songs. [June 2014]
[2018] MKTO was released from their contract with Columbia Records and subsequently signed with BMG Nashville for music representation. They also signed with ICM Partners for representation in all areas worldwide.
Trademarks:
Double dimples on left cheek
Beauty mark on upper right forehead
Quotes
Always dream. Never give up!
Reach for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars.
Always make sure your heart is bigger than your head.
I've learned the truth in these sayings: 'Luck is when opportunity meets preparation' and 'The right project will find you'.
My favorite parable for living a positive and influential life is the Golden Rule "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you".
