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Jay O. Sanders

Jay O. Sanders

Department: Acting

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.

Known For

The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow

2004

Along Came a Spider

Along Came a Spider

2001

Starstruck

Starstruck

1981

JFK

JFK

1991

D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear

D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear

2003

The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker

1997

The Misfit Brigade

The Misfit Brigade

1987

My Boyfriend's Back

My Boyfriend's Back

1993

Wedding Daze

Wedding Daze

2006

Half Nelson

Half Nelson

2006

Angels in the Outfield

Angels in the Outfield

1994

Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness

2010

Kiss the Girls

Kiss the Girls

1997

The Big Green

The Big Green

1995

The Road to Galena

The Road to Galena

2022

V.I. Warshawski

V.I. Warshawski

1991

The Man Who Saved the World

The Man Who Saved the World

2012

When You Finish Saving the World

When You Finish Saving the World

2023

Three Wishes

Three Wishes

1995

Dead Dog

Dead Dog

2001

Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler

Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler

1990

Greetings from the Shore

Greetings from the Shore

2007

Starting Over

Starting Over

1979

The Secret Life of Girls

The Secret Life of Girls

1999

Down Came a Blackbird

Down Came a Blackbird

1995

Vice

Vice

2018

Cross Creek

Cross Creek

1983

NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs

NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs

2008

Ghosts of Stonehenge

Ghosts of Stonehenge

2017

His Three Daughters

His Three Daughters

2024

Wrestling with Alligators

Wrestling with Alligators

1998

Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story

Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story

1983

My Husband's Double Life

My Husband's Double Life

2001

Outrage

Outrage

2023

The Confession

The Confession

1999

Earthly Possessions

Earthly Possessions

1999

Glory

Glory

1989

Cold Sassy Tree

Cold Sassy Tree

1989

Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

2008

The Last Brickmaker in America

The Last Brickmaker in America

2001

Hair High

Hair High

2004

The Prosecutors

The Prosecutors

1996

Daylight

Daylight

1996

The Gathering Swarms

The Gathering Swarms

2014

Adventures in Plymptoons!

Adventures in Plymptoons!

2011

Music of the Heart

Music of the Heart

1999

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

2022

A Novel Romance

A Novel Romance

2011

Cadillac Records

Cadillac Records

2008

For Richer or Poorer

For Richer or Poorer

1997

Nobody's Children

Nobody's Children

1994

Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials

2002

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

2024

The Valley of Light

The Valley of Light

2007

The River

The River

2013

The Undying

The Undying

2009

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

1988

ATF

ATF

1999

Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky

1982

Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time

Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time

2015

Just Like in the Movies

Just Like in the Movies

1989

I'm Coming Over

I'm Coming Over

2011

I Hate Valentine's Day

I Hate Valentine's Day

2009

Saving the Dead Sea

Saving the Dead Sea

2019

NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs

NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs

2017

A Doctor's Story

A Doctor's Story

1984

Eddie Macon's Run

Eddie Macon's Run

1983

NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword

NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword

2012

Hostages

Hostages

1992

NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial

NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial

2007

Dawn of Humanity

Dawn of Humanity

2015

NOVA: Iceman Reborn

NOVA: Iceman Reborn

2016

NOVA: The Great Math Mystery

NOVA: The Great Math Mystery

2015

NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?

NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?

2013

The Day Christ Died

The Day Christ Died

1980

Abby Singer

Abby Singer

2003

The Dissection of Thanksgiving

The Dissection of Thanksgiving

2008

NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower

NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower

2013

NOVA: Cold Case JFK

NOVA: Cold Case JFK

2013

NOVA: Life's Rocky Start

NOVA: Life's Rocky Start

2016

NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice

NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice

2016

NOVA: Why Trains Crash

NOVA: Why Trains Crash

2017

NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark

NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark

2015

NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare

NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare

2016

The Jewel

The Jewel

2011

The Odd Couple II

The Odd Couple II

1998

Earth from Space

Earth from Space

2012

Tumbleweeds

Tumbleweeds

1999

Silver Strand

Silver Strand

1995

DC Noir

DC Noir

2019

Boss of Bosses

Boss of Bosses

2001

Holocaust Escape Tunnel

Holocaust Escape Tunnel

2017

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry

2017

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Two: What Did You Expect?

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Two: What Did You Expect?

2017

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age

The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age

2017

Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya

2019

NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers

NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers

2018

The Assistant

The Assistant

2020

Rio Shannon

Rio Shannon

1993

Broken Places

Broken Places

2018

That Hopey Changey Thing

That Hopey Changey Thing

2020

Meeting Venus

Meeting Venus

1991

Green Lantern

Green Lantern

2011

Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files

Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files

2019

The Jack Bull

The Jack Bull

1999

Mr. Destiny

Mr. Destiny

1990

Sweet and Sad

Sweet and Sad

2020

Sorry

Sorry

2020

Regular Singing

Regular Singing

2020

What Do We Need to Talk About?

What Do We Need to Talk About?

2020

Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts

Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts

2016

The Prince of Pennsylvania

The Prince of Pennsylvania

1988

State of Emergency

State of Emergency

1994

And So We Come Forth

And So We Come Forth

2020

The Mystery of Mona Lisa

The Mystery of Mona Lisa

2014

Tapes

Tapes

2020

Catfight

Catfight

2016

Northern Borders

Northern Borders

2015

Defenseless

Defenseless

1991

Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death

1995

Picnic

Picnic

2000

Incidental Moments of the Day

Incidental Moments of the Day

2020

Riddles of the Sphinx

Riddles of the Sphinx

2010

The Violin Alone

The Violin Alone

2019

Secrets of Stonehenge

Secrets of Stonehenge

2010

NOVA: Decoding da Vinci

NOVA: Decoding da Vinci

2019

Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse

Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse

2015

NOVA: First Face of America

NOVA: First Face of America

2018

Happenstance

Happenstance

2007

Wild Costa Rica

Wild Costa Rica

2000

Girl From the North Country

Girl From the North Country

2024

Kill the Day

Kill the Day

2008

Remain

Remain

2027

The Revolt of Mother

The Revolt of Mother

1988

Queens of Combat: Rome's Female Gladiators

Queens of Combat: Rome's Female Gladiators

2026

Kate & Allie

Kate & Allie

1984

Spenser: For Hire

Spenser: For Hire

1985

L.A. Law

L.A. Law

1986

Roseanne

Roseanne

1988

Crime Story

Crime Story

1986

New York Undercover

New York Undercover

1994

Northern Exposure

Northern Exposure

1990

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

2001

Booker

Booker

1989

Nature

Nature

1982

Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years

Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years

1995

The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits

1995

Manhunt

Manhunt

2017

ABC Afterschool Special

ABC Afterschool Special

1972

Person of Interest

Person of Interest

2011

NOVA

NOVA

1974

True Detective

True Detective

2014

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods

2010

Pan Am

Pan Am

2011

Unforgettable

Unforgettable

2011

Body of Proof

Body of Proof

2011

Widows

Widows

2002

Blindspot

Blindspot

2015

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

2001

Law & Order

Law & Order

1990

Law & Order

Law & Order

1990

Texas

Texas

1980

Stars in the House

Stars in the House

2020

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

1979

Chicago Med

Chicago Med

2015

Wonderland

Wonderland

2000

Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete

2015

Miami Vice

Miami Vice

1984

Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead

2000

The Good Wife

The Good Wife

2009

Decoding the Universe

Decoding the Universe

2024

Damages

Damages

2007

Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials

2003