Jay O. Sanders

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

Law & Order

Blue Bloods

Person of Interest

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

The Good Wife

Chicago Med

All Movies (137)

Remain2027
Queens of Combat: Rome's Female Gladiators2026 · as Narrator
The Rise & Fall of the Colosseum2025 · as Narration
Girl From the North Country2024 · as Nick Laine
His Three Daughters2024 · as Vincent
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch2024 · as Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee
Outrage2023 · as Frank Brand
When You Finish Saving the World2023 · as Roger
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths2022 · as Ambassador Jones
The Road to Galena2022 · as John Baird
Incidental Moments of the Day2020 · as Richard Apple
And So We Come Forth2020 · as Richard Apple
Tapes2020
What Do We Need to Talk About?2020 · as Richard Apple
That Hopey Changey Thing2020 · as Richard Apple
Sweet and Sad2020 · as Richard Apple
Sorry2020 · as Richard Apple
Regular Singing2020 · as Richard Apple
The Assistant2020 · as Boss (voice)
NOVA: Decoding da Vinci2019 · as Narrator (voice)
Uncle Vanya2019 · as Vanya
World War Speed: The Drugs That Won WWII2019 · as Narrator
DC Noir2019 · as Sgt. Peters
Saving the Dead Sea2019
Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files2019 · as Narrator (voice)
The Violin Alone2019 · as Narrator (voice)
Broken Places2018 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers2018 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: First Face of America2018 · as Narrator (voice)
Vice2018 · as Governor
Ghosts of Stonehenge2017 · as Narrator (voice)
Holocaust Escape Tunnel2017 · as Narrator (voice)
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age2017 · as George Gabriel
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Two: What Did You Expect?2017 · as George Gabriel
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry2017 · as George Gabriel
Catfight2017 · as Angry Guy
NOVA: Why Trains Crash2017 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs2017 · as Narrator (voice)
Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts2016 · as Narrator (voice)
Iceman Reborn2016 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice2016 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Life's Rocky Start2016 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare2016 · as Narrator (voice)
Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time2015 · as Narrator (voice)
Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse2015 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark2015 · as Narrator (voice)
Dawn of Humanity2015 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: The Great Math Mystery2015 · as Narrator (voice)
Northern Borders2015 · as Agent Sanders
The Mystery of Mona Lisa2014 · as Narrator (voice)
The Gathering Swarms2014 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Cold Case JFK2013 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower2013 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
The River2013 · as Phil
NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?2013 · as Narrator (voice)
The Man Who Saved the World2012 · as Narrator (voice)
NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword2012 · as Narrator (voice)
Earth from Space2012 · as Narrator (voice)
A Novel Romance2011 · as Walter Evans
I'm Coming Over2011 · as Walter
Green Lantern2011 · as Carl Ferris
Adventures in Plymptoons!2011 · as Self
The Jewel2011 · as Mr. Rothman
Edge of Darkness2010 · as Whitehouse
Riddles of the Sphinx2010 · as Narrator (voice)
Secrets of Stonehenge2010 · as Narrator (voice)
I Hate Valentine's Day2009 · as Tim the Delivery Guy
The Undying2009 · as Dr. Russell Lassiter
Revolutionary Road2008 · as Bart Pollock
Cadillac Records2008 · as Mr. Feder
NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs2008 · as Narrator (voice)
The Dissection of Thanksgiving2008 · as Cliff
Kill the Day2008 · as Dr. Susskind
NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial2007 · as Narrator (voice)
Greetings from the Shore2007 · as Commodore Callaghan
Happenstance2007 · as Bob
The Valley of Light2007 · as Howard
Wedding Daze2006 · as Sheriff
Half Nelson2006 · as Russ Dunne
The Day After Tomorrow2004 · as Frank Harris
Hair High2004 · as Football Announcer (voice)
Abby Singer2003 · as Kevin's Father
D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear2003 · as Douglas Duncan
Salem Witch Trials2002 · as Thomas Putnam
Dead Dog2001 · as Frank Edmonds
The Last Brickmaker in America2001 · as Mike Potter
Boss of Bosses2001 · as Joseph O'Brien
Along Came a Spider2001 · as Kyle Craig
My Husband's Double Life2001 · as Patrick Hennessy Welsh
Picnic2000 · as Howard Bevens
Wild Costa Rica2000 · as Narrator
Earthly Possessions1999 · as Zack Emery
Tumbleweeds1999 · as Dan Miller
Music of the Heart1999 · as Dan Paxton
ATF1999 · as Sam Sinclair
The Secret Life of Girls1999
The Jack Bull1999 · as Atty. Gen. Metcalfe
The Confession1999 · as Jack Renoble
The Odd Couple II1998 · as Leroy
Wrestling with Alligators1998 · as Rick
For Richer or Poorer1997 · as Samuel Yoder
The Matchmaker1997 · as Senator John McGlory
Kiss the Girls1997 · as FBI Agent Kyle Craig
Daylight1996 · as Steven Crighton
The Prosecutors1996 · as DA Alan Baker
Silver Strand1995 · as Lucas Hughes
Three Wishes1995 · as Coach Schramka
Down Came a Blackbird1995 · as Jan Talbeck
The Big Green1995 · as Jay Huffer
Kiss of Death1995 · as Federal Agent
Angels in the Outfield1994 · as Ranch Wilder
Nobody's Children1994 · as Joe Stevens
State of Emergency1994 · as Dr. Jeffrey Forrest
Rio Shannon1993 · as John Cleary
My Boyfriend's Back1993 · as Sheriff McCloud
Hostages1992 · as Terry Anderson
JFK1991 · as Lou Ivon
Meeting Venus1991 · as Stephen Taylor
Defenseless1991 · as Bull Dozer
V.I. Warshawski1991 · as Murray Ryerson
Mr. Destiny1990 · as Jackie Earle
Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler1990 · as Tom Marshall
Glory1989 · as Gen. George Crockett Strong
Cold Sassy Tree1989 · as Clayton McAllister
Just Like in the Movies1989 · as Ryan Legrand
The Prince of Pennsylvania1988 · as Trooper Joe
Tucker: The Man and His Dream1988 · as Kirby
The Revolt of Mother1988 · as Adam Penn
The Misfit Brigade1987 · as Tiny
A Doctor's Story1984 · as Dr. Curtis
Cross Creek1983 · as Charles Rawlings
Eddie Macon's Run1983 · as Rudy Potts
Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story1983 · as Dick Willey
Hanky Panky1982 · as Katz
Starstruck1981 · as Mr. Miller
The Day Christ Died1980 · as Peter
Starting Over1979 · as Larry

All TV Shows (39)

Decoding the Universe2024 · as Narrator
Stars in the House2020 · as Self
Manhunt2017 · as Jack Bryant
Chicago Med2015 · as Cray
Blindspot2015 · as Bill Weller
Sneaky Pete2015 · as Sam
True Detective2014 · as Billy Lee Tuttle
Pan Am2011 · as Douglas Vanderway
Person of Interest2011 · as Special Counsel
Unforgettable2011 · as Jonathan Hedstrom
Body of Proof2011 · as Harvey Brady
Blue Bloods2010 · as Jimmy Reagan
The Good Wife2009 · as Judge Hal Ferris
Damages2007 · as Calder Security Executive
Salem Witch Trials2003 · as Thomas Putnam
Widows2002 · as Detective John Maynard
Law & Order: Criminal Intent2001 · as Harry Rowan, Sr.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent2001 · as Joseph Hannah
Secrets of the Dead2000 · as Narrator (voice)
Wonderland2000 · as Ed Butowski
Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years1995 · as Xander
The Outer Limits1995 · as Ed Barkley
New York Undercover1994 · as Howard
Law & Order1990 · as Nick Taska / Bill Fallon
Law & Order1990 · as Defense Attorney Alan Fenwick
Northern Exposure1990 · as Dr. John Summer
Booker1989 · as Gordon Rudd
Roseanne1988 · as Ziggy
Crime Story1986 · as Steve Kordo
L.A. Law1986 · as Detective Michael Phillips
Spenser: For Hire1985 · as Father Crawford
Miami Vice1984 · as Det. Tim Duryea
Kate & Allie1984 · as Tim Merr
Nature1982 · as Narrator (voice)
Texas1980 · as Seth
The Scarlet Letter1979 · as Robert Salter
NOVA1974 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
ABC Afterschool Special1972 · as Mr. Miller
Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Howard