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.[1] He has received a Drama Desk Award and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award.[2]
Jay O. Sanders | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jay Olcutt Sanders April 16, 1953 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | State University of New York, Purchase (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
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).[3] 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 (1993), Music of the Heart (1999), Tumbleweeds (1999), and Revolutionary Road (2008). He took recurring roles in television series such as 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.
Early life and education
editSanders was born on April 16, 1953, in Austin, Texas, to arts organization executive and violinist James Olcutt Sanders (1917-1983) and Phyllis Rae, née Aden. His parents were Quakers.[4][5] He attended the acting conservatory at SUNY Purchase.
Career
editSanders made his off-Broadway debut in a Shakespeare in the Park production of Henry V in 1976.[6] He played Bradley in the first New York production of Sam Shepard's Buried Child in 1978.[7]
Sanders has had a long career in film and television. He is perhaps most recognized for his work in the films The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Green Lantern (2011)[8] and Morgan Freeman Alex Cross films. He has appeared in many other notable films, including Glory (1989), Mr. Destiny (1990), JFK (1991), Angels in the Outfield (1994), The Big Green (1995), Daylight, Tumbleweeds (1999), Music of the Heart (1999), Half Nelson (2006), Cadillac Records (2008) and Revolutionary Road (2008).[9]
On television, Sanders played mob lawyer Steven Kordo in the 1986–88 NBC detective series Crime Story, Norbert "Ziggy" Walsh on two episodes of Roseanne, and recurring characters on shows such as Person of Interest and True Detective.[10] He is the narrator for the PBS series Wide Angle from 2002 to 2009, and has served as narrator for a number of Nova episodes starting in 2007.[11]
On stage, Sanders has appeared on Broadway in Loose Ends (1979),[12] The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1983),[13] Saint Joan (1993),[14] Pygmalion (2007).,[15][16] Girl from the North Country (musical) (2020), and Purlie Victorious (2023)
Off-Broadway, he appeared as George W. Bush in Sir David Hare's Stuff Happens in 2006.[17][18] He then played in a number of Shakespearean plays: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bottom, 2007), Hamlet (Ghost of Hamlet's Father/Player King/Gravedigger, 2008), Twelfth Night (as Sir Toby Belch, 2009), and the title role in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (2011).[19]
Sanders appeared in the Richard Nelson Apple Family Plays, a series of plays that ran off-Broadway at the Public Theatre in 2010 (That Hopey Changey Thing), 2011 (Sweet and Sad), 2012 (Sorry), and 2013 (Regular Singing).[20] Sanders has appeared in more plays at the Delacorte Theatre (Shakespeare in Central Park) than any other actor to date.[21]
Sanders' first play, Unexplored Interior, about the Rwandan genocide, debuted in November 2015 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. Sanders had been working on it for more than a decade.[22]
Acting credits
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Starting Over | Larry | Credited as Jay Sanders |
| 1982 | Hanky Panky | Katz | |
| 1983 | Cross Creek | Charles Rawlings | |
| Eddie Macon's Run | Rudy Potts | ||
| 1987 | The Misfit Brigade | Lance Corporal Wolfgang "Tiny" Creutzfeldt | |
| 1988 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Kirby, Tucker's Attorney | |
| The Prince of Pennsylvania | Trooper Joe | ||
| 1989 | Glory | General George Crockett Strong | |
| A Man Called Hawk | Officer Brogan | ||
| The Young Riders | Longley | ||
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny | Jackie Earle "Cement Head" Bumpers | |
| 1991 | JFK | Lou Ivon | |
| Meeting Venus | Stephen Taylor | ||
| V.I. Warshawski | Murray Ryerson | ||
| 1992 | Hostages | Terry A. Anderson | |
| 1993 | My Boyfriend's Back | Sheriff McCloud | |
| 1994 | Angels in the Outfield | Ranch Wilder | |
| State of Emergency | Dr. Jeffrey Forrest | ||
| 1995 | The Big Green | Coach Jay Huffer | |
| Kiss of Death | Federal Agent | Uncredited | |
| Silver Strand | Lucas Hughes | ||
| Three Wishes | Coach Schramka | ||
| 1996 | Daylight | Steven Crighton | |
| 1997 | For Richer or Poorer | Samuel Yoder | |
| The Matchmaker | Senator John McGlory | ||
| Kiss the Girls | FBI Agent Kyle Craig | ||
| 1998 | The Odd Couple II | Leroy | |
| 1999 | Music of the Heart | Dan Paxton | |
| The Confession | Jack Renoble | ||
| Tumbleweeds | Dan Miller | ||
| 2001 | Along Came a Spider | FBI Agent Kyle Craig | |
| The Familiar Stranger | Patrick Hennessy Welsh Timothy Michael Kingsbury | ||
| 2003 | Abby Singer | Kevin's Father | |
| 2004 | The Day After Tomorrow | Frank Harris | |
| Hair High | Football Announcer (voice) | ||
| 2006 | Half Nelson | Russ Dunne | |
| Wedding Daze | Police Officer | ||
| 2007 | Greetings from the Shore | Commodore Callaghan | |
| Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial | The Narrator | Documentary film | |
| 2008 | Revolutionary Road | Bart Pollock | |
| Cadillac Records | Mr. Feder | ||
| Poundcake | Cliff | ||
| 2009 | I Hate Valentine's Day | Tim, The Delivery Guy | |
| 2010 | Edge of Darkness | Detective Bill Whitehouse | |
| Zenith | Doug Oberts | ||
| 2011 | Green Lantern | Carl Ferris | |
| The Jewel | Mr. Rothman | ||
| The Undying | Dr. Richard Lassiter | ||
| A Novel Romance | Walter Evans | ||
| 2013 | Northern Borders | Agent Sanders | |
| Bones of the Buddha | The Narrator | Documentary film | |
| 2017 | Search for the Super Battery | The Narrator | Documentary film |
| 2019 | The Assistant | Boss (voice) | |
| 2022 | When You Finish Saving the World | Roger Katz | |
| Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Ambassador Jones | ||
| 2023 | His Three Daughters |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Day Christ Died | Simon Peter | Television film |
| 1983 | Living Proof: The Hank Williams, Jr. Story | Dick Willey | Television film |
| 1983–1984 | AfterMASH | Dr. Gene Pfeiffer | 10 episodes |
| 1985 | Miami Vice | Detective Tim Duryea | Episode: "The Maze" |
| 1986–1988 | Crime Story | Steven Kordo | 12 episodes |
| 1989 | Booker | Gordon Rudd | Episode: "All You Gotta Do Is Do It" |
| Kate & Allie | Tim Mayer | Episode: "What's Love Got to Do with It?" | |
| 1990 | L.A. Law | Detective Michael Phillips | Episode: "Watts a Matter?" |
| 1990–1991 | Roseanne | Norbert "Ziggy" Walsh | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Northern Exposure | Dr. John Summers | Episode: "Jaws of Life" |
| 1995 | Down Came a Blackbird | Jan Talbeck | Television film |
| The Outer Limits | Ed Barkley | Episode: "The Voyage Home" | |
| 1999 | Earthly Possessions | Jack Emery | Television film |
| A.T.F. | Sam Sinclair | Television film | |
| The Jack Bull | Attorney General Metcalfe | Television film | |
| Law & Order | Nick Taska / Bill Fallon | Episode: "Tabula Rasa" | |
| 2000 | Picnic | Unknown | Television film |
| 2001 | Boss of Bosses | Joseph O'Brien | Television film |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Harry Rowan | Episode: "Dead" |
| 2002 | Widows | Detective John Maynard | 4 episodes |
| 2002–2009 | Wide Angle | The Narrator | 63 episodes |
| 2003 | D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear | Douglas Duncan | Television film |
| 2006 | The Valley of Light | Howard | Television film |
| 2006–present | Nova | The Narrator | 70 episodes |
| 2010 | Hardcover Mysteries | The Narrator | 8 episodes |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Captain Joseph Hannah | Main role; 8 episodes |
| 2011–2012 | Pan Am | Douglas Vanderway | 3 episodes |
| 2011–2016 | The Good Wife | Judge Hal Ferris | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Blue Bloods | Jimmy Reagan | Episode: "Reagan V. Reagan" |
| 2012–2014 | Person of Interest | Special Counsel | 9 episodes |
| 2012–present | Secrets of the Dead | The Narrator | 24 episodes |
| 2013 | Hostages | Lynn Shipley | Episode: "The Cost of Living" |
| 2014 | True Detective | Billy Lee Tuttle | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Dawn of Humanity | The Narrator | 1 episode |
| American Odyssey | Alex | 8 episodes | |
| 2015–2020 | Blindspot | Bill Weller | 11 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | Sneaky Pete | Sam | 15 episodes |
| 2018 | The Sinner | Chief Tom Lidell | 7 episodes |
| Chicago Med | Reverend Cray | Episode: "Down by Law" | |
| 2020 | Manhunt: Deadly Games | Jack Bryant | 6 episodes |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Henry V | Earl of Westmoreland | Shakespeare in the Park | [23] |
| 1976 | Measure for Measure | Barnardine | Shakespeare in the Park | [24] |
| 1978 | Buried Child | Bradley | Theater for the New City | [25] |
| 1979 | Loose Ends | Doug | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway | [26] |
| 1983 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Lt. Stephen Maryk | Circle in the Square, Broadway | [27] |
| 1993 | Saint Joan | Dunois | Lyceum Theatre, Broadway | [28] |
| 2007 | Pygmalion | Alfred Doolittle | American Airlines Theatre, Broadway | [29] |
| 2020 | Girl from the North Country | Nick Laine | Belasco Theatre, Broadway | [30] |
| 2023 | Primary Trust | Clay | Laura Pels Theatre, Off-Broadway | [31] |
| 2023 | Purlie Victorious | Ol' Captain Cotchipee | Music Box Theatre, Broadway | [32] |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Manhunt 2 | The Pervs | |
| 2010 | Red Dead Redemption | D.S. MacKenna, Mr. Philmore | |
| Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare | D.S. MacKenna | Uncredited |
Awards and honors
editHe received the 2018 Joe A. Callaway Award, presented by the Actors’ Equity Foundation for "best performance in a professional production of a classic play", for his performance in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.[33] He also received the Drama Desk Award for 2019 for Actor in a Play for Uncle Vanya. In 2024, he received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play for his performance in Primary Trust.[34]
References
edit- ^ Isherwood, Charles (December 13, 2011). "I Wouldn't Touch That Pie, if I Were You". The New York Times.
- ^ "Jay. O Sanders (Performer)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Buried Child lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016.
- ^ Black Theater, City Life: African American Art Institutions and Urban Cultural Ecologies, Macelle Mahala, 2022, p. 221
- ^ "Jay Sanders Biography". filmreference. 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
- ^ Miller, J. Michael. "J. Michael Miller talks to Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders". Interview. The Actors Center. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ Buried Child lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016.
- ^ "The Day After Tomorrow". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
- ^ Revolutionary Road, tcm.com; accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "What The True Detective Season 1 Cast Is Doing Now". CINEMABLEND. November 21, 2020.
- ^ "About the series". Wide Angle Credits. May 27, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
- ^ "'Loose Ends' Broadway", Playbill.com, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "'The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial' Broadway", Playbill.com, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "'Saint Joan' Broadway", Playbill.com, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ 'Pygmalion' on Broadway, Playbill.com, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "Jay O. Sanders at IBDB". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (April 14, 2006). "David Hare's 'Stuff Happens': All the President's Men in 'On the Road to Baghdad'". The New York Times.
- ^ Stuff Happens, lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016.
- ^ Titus Andronicus, lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "Sanders Off-Broadway", lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016
- ^ "Exploring six degrees of Jay O. Sanders: Unexplored Interior playwright's brilliant career - DC Theatre Scene". November 19, 2015.
- ^ Marks, Peter (November 3, 2015). "Mosaic opens its inaugural curtain with 'Unexplored Interior'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ Miller, J. Michael. "J. Michael Miller talks to Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders". Interview. The Actors Center. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ^ "Measure for Measure". abouttheartist. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Buried Child lortel.org, accessed November 10, 2016.
- ^ "Loose Ends (Broadway, 1979)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Broadway, 1983)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Saint Joan (Broadway, 1993)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Pygmalion (Broadway, 2007)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Girl from the North Country (Broadway, 2020)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Go Inside Opening Night of Primary Trust, Starring The Good Place's William Jackson Harper". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Purlie Victorious (Broadway, 2023)". Playbill. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Alison Fraser and Jay O. Sanders Are Winners of 2018 Joe A. Callaway Awards" Playbill, December 7, 2018
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 13, 2024). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
