Oliver Rayón was born (1983) in the city of Puebla, in the state of Puebla, México. He was four years old when his single mother brought him to Southern California. He grew up first in Bellflower, and later Santa Ana, California. Oliver gravitated towards athletics and played Pop Warner Football and National Junior Basketball. But music was unquestionably his first love. He sang in the choir throughout elementary school and junior high school, and won recognition as a soloist while taking part in honor choirs. Through membership in high school show choir, he learned about musical theater productions and ventured to audition. He got his first taste of acting when he was cast in Guys and Dolls and later in Babes in Arms. While still in high school, he went beyond school productions to perform in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and played "Vittorio Vidal" in Sweet Charity. All indicators seemed to point to a future in the performing arts, but by the end of high school Oliver decided on a different course. He had grown up with a talent for math and science. His inquisitive side was captivated by avionics and the promise of flight. He logically joined the Air Force ROTC to become an electrical engineer and pilot.

Performing to engage an audience proved to be Oliver's clear calling. He inevitably left the Air Force ROTC to attend Orange Coast College, where he rekindled his love of performing and ultimately set his goals firmly on acting. Being quickly cast in several college theater productions affirmed his decision. He was first cast as "Estaban" in the one-act play Lynette at 3 a.m., partly by virtue of his reputation as an actor in high school, and also because he was bilingual in Spanish and English. He was invited to audition and from a single audition he was immediately cast in three one-act plays. He went on to play "Montano" in William Shakespeare's Othello. He reveled in a high point of his early career when he played "Herb" in the OCC production of the musical Godspell.

A new era of acting began for Oliver after studying the Michael Chekhov Technique with Hugh O'Gorman at California State University, Long Beach. The technique remains an integral part of his work today. The highest point of his training at CSULB, and indeed his entire early career, was working under the direction of Anne D'Zmura in a production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses (Fall 2006). He has described the play as truly beautiful, and the cast as rich with talent. Each cast member played multiple parts. Oliver played Zeus, Erysichthon, Cinyras, and others. Working with D'Zmura gave Oliver insight into the art of directing, and vision for a career beyond acting. He added the role of "Shalva, the Adjutant" in Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle to his list of theater credits (Fall 2007). His college career ended with a BA in Theater Arts from CSULB (June 2007).

Oliver also trained at The Actors Center in New York City (Summer 2006). The intensive schedule and rigorous work helped to shape his approach to preparing and mastering a role. The instructors are all accomplished and distinguished in their fields of specialization. Oliver studied Fitzmaurice Voicework with Grace Zandarski, Balinese mask work with Per Brahe, and movement with Felix Ivanov. He credits Scott Freeman with guiding him towards a realistic acting style that he now considers to be second nature.

Acting ideally gives Oliver opportunities to tell stories that deeply impact audiences. He attributes his passion for acting to his experiences on stage in productions such as The Latino Theater Company's 25th Anniversary Revival of La Victima (October 2010).. He is a student of film and counts John Cassavetes, Guillermo del Toro, Pedro Almodóvar, Marlon Brando, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Quinn, Meryl Streep, and Daniel Day-Lewis among his many influences. He learned piano as an adult and makes music as often as he can. He values ongoing actor training to sharpen his craft. Fluency in Spanish gives him depth and authenticity in his personal and professional roles. An open outlook on the world helps him to freely inhabit a range of acting roles. He has convincingly played the Latin romantic, an all-American sailor (Silent Venom), a Jewish rabbi (Dialogues), and an Italian heavy (Stem Cell), among others.

Adaptable to acting on stage, television, and film, Oliver's credits include recurring roles on local-market TV shows (The Heartbreak Café, Secretos), star billing in short films that have been on the film festival circuit (Good Day LA, Lawnchairs & Grappling Hooks, Vlad & Antoinette), supporting roles in a range of independent feature films, and diverse roles in numerous stage plays; most notably alongside acting greats Lupe Ontiveros and Sal López in La Victima, under the spectacular direction of José Luis Valenzuela. Several of his films have been in rotation on the SyFy Channel (War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Silent Venom).