Jay O. Sanders
Acting • Born 1953-04-16
Biography
Jay Olcutt Sanders (born April 16, 1953) is an American film, theatre and television actor and playwright. He frequently appears in plays off-Broadway at The Public Theatre. He has received a Drama Desk Award and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. Sanders made his off-Broadway debut in a Shakespeare in the Park production of Henry V in 1976. He originated the role of Bradley in Sam Shepard's Buried Child (1978). He made his Broadway debut in the play Loose Ends (1979). He returned to Broadway in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1983), Saint Joan (1993), Pygmalion (2007), Girl from the North Country (2020), and Purlie Victorious (2023). He made his feature film debut in the comedy Starting Over (1979). He had notable roles in films such as Cross Creek (1983), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Glory (1989), JFK (1991), Hostages (1992), Angels in the Outfield (1994), Music of the Heart (1999), Tumbleweeds (1999), and Revolutionary Road (2008). He took recurring roles in television series including Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Blindspot, and Sneaky Pete. He has served as the narrator for the shows Wide Angle, Nova, and Secrets of the Dead. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jay O. Sanders, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
174 credits
The Day After Tomorrow
Movie • 2004
Frank Harris
Along Came a Spider
Movie • 2001
Kyle Craig
Starstruck
Movie • 1981
Mr. Miller
JFK
Movie • 1991
Lou Ivon
D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear
Movie • 2003
Douglas Duncan
The Matchmaker
Movie • 1997
Senator John McGlory
The Misfit Brigade
Movie • 1987
Tiny
My Boyfriend's Back
Movie • 1993
Sheriff McCloud
Wedding Daze
Movie • 2006
Sheriff
Half Nelson
Movie • 2006
Russ Dunne
Angels in the Outfield
Movie • 1994
Ranch Wilder
Edge of Darkness
Movie • 2010
Whitehouse
Kiss the Girls
Movie • 1997
FBI Agent Kyle Craig
The Big Green
Movie • 1995
Jay Huffer
The Road to Galena
Movie • 2022
John Baird
V.I. Warshawski
Movie • 1991
Murray Ryerson
The Man Who Saved the World
Movie • 2012
Narrator (voice)
When You Finish Saving the World
Movie • 2023
Roger
Three Wishes
Movie • 1995
Coach Schramka
Dead Dog
Movie • 2001
Frank Edmonds
Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler
Movie • 1990
Tom Marshall
Greetings from the Shore
Movie • 2007
Commodore Callaghan
Starting Over
Movie • 1979
Larry
The Secret Life of Girls
Movie • 1999
Down Came a Blackbird
Movie • 1995
Jan Talbeck
Vice
Movie • 2018
Governor
Cross Creek
Movie • 1983
Charles Rawlings
NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs
Movie • 2008
Narrator (voice)
Ghosts of Stonehenge
Movie • 2017
Narrator (voice)
His Three Daughters
Movie • 2024
Vincent
Wrestling with Alligators
Movie • 1998
Rick
Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story
Movie • 1983
Dick Willey
My Husband's Double Life
Movie • 2001
Patrick Hennessy Welsh
Outrage
Movie • 2023
Frank Brand
The Confession
Movie • 1999
Jack Renoble
Earthly Possessions
Movie • 1999
Zack Emery
Glory
Movie • 1989
Gen. George Crockett Strong
Cold Sassy Tree
Movie • 1989
Clayton McAllister
Revolutionary Road
Movie • 2008
Bart Pollock
The Last Brickmaker in America
Movie • 2001
Mike Potter
Hair High
Movie • 2004
Football Announcer (voice)
The Prosecutors
Movie • 1996
DA Alan Baker
Daylight
Movie • 1996
Steven Crighton
The Gathering Swarms
Movie • 2014
Narrator (voice)
Adventures in Plymptoons!
Movie • 2011
Self
Music of the Heart
Movie • 1999
Dan Paxton
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Movie • 2022
Ambassador Jones
A Novel Romance
Movie • 2011
Walter Evans
Cadillac Records
Movie • 2008
Mr. Feder
For Richer or Poorer
Movie • 1997
Samuel Yoder
Nobody's Children
Movie • 1994
Joe Stevens
Salem Witch Trials
Movie • 2002
Thomas Putnam
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Movie • 2024
Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee
The Valley of Light
Movie • 2007
Howard
The River
Movie • 2013
Phil
The Undying
Movie • 2009
Dr. Russell Lassiter
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
Movie • 1988
Kirby
ATF
Movie • 1999
Sam Sinclair
Hanky Panky
Movie • 1982
Katz
Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time
Movie • 2015
Narrator (voice)
Just Like in the Movies
Movie • 1989
Ryan Legrand
I'm Coming Over
Movie • 2011
Walter
I Hate Valentine's Day
Movie • 2009
Tim the Delivery Guy
Saving the Dead Sea
Movie • 2019
NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs
Movie • 2017
Narrator (voice)
A Doctor's Story
Movie • 1984
Dr. Curtis
Eddie Macon's Run
Movie • 1983
Rudy Potts
NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword
Movie • 2012
Narrator (voice)
Hostages
Movie • 1992
Terry Anderson
NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial
Movie • 2007
Narrator (voice)
Dawn of Humanity
Movie • 2015
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Iceman Reborn
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: The Great Math Mystery
Movie • 2015
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?
Movie • 2013
Narrator (voice)
The Day Christ Died
Movie • 1980
Peter
Abby Singer
Movie • 2003
Kevin's Father
The Dissection of Thanksgiving
Movie • 2008
Cliff
NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower
Movie • 2013
Self - Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Cold Case JFK
Movie • 2013
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Life's Rocky Start
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Why Trains Crash
Movie • 2017
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark
Movie • 2015
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
The Jewel
Movie • 2011
Mr. Rothman
The Odd Couple II
Movie • 1998
Leroy
Earth from Space
Movie • 2012
Narrator (voice)
Tumbleweeds
Movie • 1999
Dan Miller
Silver Strand
Movie • 1995
Lucas Hughes
DC Noir
Movie • 2019
Sgt. Peters
Boss of Bosses
Movie • 2001
Joseph O'Brien
Holocaust Escape Tunnel
Movie • 2017
Narrator (voice)
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry
Movie • 2017
George Gabriel
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age
Movie • 2017
George Gabriel
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Two: What Did You Expect?
Movie • 2017
George Gabriel
Uncle Vanya
Movie • 2019
Vanya
NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers
Movie • 2018
Narrator (voice)
The Assistant
Movie • 2020
Boss (voice)
Rio Shannon
Movie • 1993
John Cleary
Broken Places
Movie • 2018
Narrator (voice)
That Hopey Changey Thing
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
Meeting Venus
Movie • 1991
Stephen Taylor
Green Lantern
Movie • 2011
Carl Ferris
Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files
Movie • 2019
Narrator (voice)
The Jack Bull
Movie • 1999
Atty. Gen. Metcalfe
Mr. Destiny
Movie • 1990
Jackie Earle
Regular Singing
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
Sweet and Sad
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
What Do We Need to Talk About?
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
Sorry
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
The Prince of Pennsylvania
Movie • 1988
Trooper Joe
State of Emergency
Movie • 1994
Dr. Jeffrey Forrest
And So We Come Forth
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
The Mystery of Mona Lisa
Movie • 2014
Narrator (voice)
Tapes
Movie • 2020
Kiss of Death
Movie • 1995
Federal Agent
Catfight
Movie • 2016
Angry Guy
Northern Borders
Movie • 2015
Agent Sanders
Picnic
Movie • 2000
Howard Bevens
Defenseless
Movie • 1991
Bull Dozer
Incidental Moments of the Day
Movie • 2020
Richard Apple
Riddles of the Sphinx
Movie • 2010
Narrator (voice)
The Violin Alone
Movie • 2019
Narrator (voice)
Secrets of Stonehenge
Movie • 2010
Narrator (voice)
My Husband's Double Life
Movie • 2001
Timothy Michael Kingsbury
NOVA: Decoding da Vinci
Movie • 2019
Narrator (voice)
Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse
Movie • 2015
Narrator (voice)
NOVA: First Face of America
Movie • 2018
Narrator (voice)
Happenstance
Movie • 2007
Bob
Wild Costa Rica
Movie • 2000
Narrator
Girl From the North Country
Movie • 2024
Nick Laine
Kill the Day
Movie • 2008
Dr. Susskind
Remain
Movie • 2027
The Revolt of Mother
Movie • 1988
Adam Penn
Queens of Combat: Rome's Female Gladiators
Movie • 2026
Narrator
Kate & Allie
TV • 1984
Tim Merr
Spenser: For Hire
TV • 1985
Father Crawford
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Detective Michael Phillips
Roseanne
TV • 1988
Ziggy
Crime Story
TV • 1986
Steve Kordo
New York Undercover
TV • 1994
Howard
Northern Exposure
TV • 1990
Dr. John Summer
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Howard
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Harry Rowan, Sr.
Booker
TV • 1989
Gordon Rudd
Nature
TV • 1982
Narrator (voice)
Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years
TV • 1995
Xander
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Ed Barkley
Manhunt
TV • 2017
Jack Bryant
ABC Afterschool Special
TV • 1972
Mr. Miller
Person of Interest
TV • 2011
Special Counsel
NOVA
TV • 1974
Self - Narrator (voice)
True Detective
TV • 2014
Billy Lee Tuttle
Blue Bloods
TV • 2010
Jimmy Reagan
Pan Am
TV • 2011
Douglas Vanderway
Unforgettable
TV • 2011
Jonathan Hedstrom
Body of Proof
TV • 2011
Harvey Brady
Widows
TV • 2002
Detective John Maynard
Blindspot
TV • 2015
Bill Weller
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
TV • 2001
Joseph Hannah
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Nick Taska / Bill Fallon
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Defense Attorney Alan Fenwick
Texas
TV • 1980
Seth
Stars in the House
TV • 2020
Self
The Scarlet Letter
TV • 1979
Robert Salter
Chicago Med
TV • 2015
Cray
Wonderland
TV • 2000
Ed Butowski
Sneaky Pete
TV • 2015
Sam
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Det. Tim Duryea
Secrets of the Dead
TV • 2000
Narrator (voice)
The Good Wife
TV • 2009
Judge Hal Ferris
Decoding the Universe
TV • 2024
Narrator
Damages
TV • 2007
Calder Security Executive