Debra Olson-Tolar was born in Chicago and raised in Colorado. She fell in love with acting when she appeared as an angel in a Christmas play when she was four years old. Throughout her education, she appeared in numerous school and community productions. Debra earned a B.A. in Theatre at the University of Northern Colorado (graduating summa cum laude) and worked in summer stock at The Little Theatre of the Rockies.
After starting a family, Debra earned a Ph.D. in Speech Communication at the University of Denver and then moved to California. After spending many years as a college professor teaching storytelling, public speaking, screenwriting, and other communication courses, she quit her "day job" to follow her bliss and become a full-time actor. Since that time she has appeared on screen, television, and stage. Her films include leading roles in Cause for Divorce (2009), One in Eight (2011), and the award-winning indie feature Half Way (2010).
