Cast & creator
Jay O. Sanders
Best known for Law & Order, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
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.
Also known as: Jay Sanders , Jay Olcutt Sanders , جی او. ساندرس
139
film credits
42
television credits
180
1951–2027 · acting roles
6.6
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (181)
Showing 181 of 181 credits
Law & Order
Nick Taska / Bill Fallon
1990Law & Order
Defense Attorney Alan Fenwick
1990
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Harry Rowan, Sr.
2001Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Joseph Hannah
2001
Blue Bloods
Jimmy Reagan
2010
Chicago Med
Cray
2015
The Good Wife
Judge Hal Ferris
2009
Person of Interest
Special Counsel
2011
The Outer Limits
Ed Barkley
1995
Great Performances
Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee
1971
NOVA
Self - Narrator (voice)
1974
True Detective
Billy Lee Tuttle
2014
L.A. Law
Detective Michael Phillips
1986
American Playhouse
Adam Penn
1982
Miami Vice
Det. Tim Duryea
1984
Blindspot
Bill Weller
2015
Damages
Calder Security Executive
2007
Nature
Narrator (voice)
1982
Northern Exposure
Dr. John Summer
1990
Unforgettable
Jonathan Hedstrom
2011
Sneaky Pete
Sam
2015
Body of Proof
Harvey Brady
2011
Stars in the House
Self
2020
ABC Afterschool Special
Mr. Miller
1972
New York Undercover
Howard
1994
Manhunt
Watson Bryant
2017
Secrets of the Dead
Narrator (voice)
2000
Kate & Allie
Tim Merr
1984
Crime Story
Steve Kordo
1986
The Day After Tomorrow
Frank Harris
2004
Spenser: For Hire
Father Crawford
1985
Green Lantern
Carl Ferris
2011
Texas
Seth
1980
Booker
Gordon Rudd
1989
Kiss the Girls
FBI Agent Kyle Craig
1997
Revolutionary Road
Bart Pollock
2008
Pan Am
Douglas Vanderway
2011
Glory
Gen. George Crockett Strong
1989
Roseanne
Ziggy
1988
Edge of Darkness
Whitehouse
2010
JFK
Lou Ivon
1991
Along Came a Spider
Kyle Craig
2001
Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years
Xander
1995
Wonderland
Ed Butowski
2000
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Howard
1951
His Three Daughters
Vincent
2024
Remain
2027
Daylight
Steven Crighton
1996
The Assistant
Boss (voice)
2020
Cadillac Records
Mr. Feder
2008
Kiss of Death
Federal Agent
1995
Angels in the Outfield
Ranch Wilder
1994
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Ambassador Jones
2022
Starting Over
Larry
1979
Wedding Daze
Sheriff
2006
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
Kirby
1988
Half Nelson
Russ Dunne
2006
The Odd Couple II
Leroy
1998
Salem Witch Trials
Thomas Putnam
2003
When You Finish Saving the World
Roger
2023
V.I. Warshawski
Murray Ryerson
1991
For Richer or Poorer
Samuel Yoder
1997
The Big Green
Jay Huffer
1995
Catfight
Angry Guy
2017
Widows
Detective John Maynard
2002
I Hate Valentine's Day
Tim the Delivery Guy
2009
Hanky Panky
Katz
1982
Music of the Heart
Dan Paxton
1999
Mr. Destiny
Jackie Earle
1990
The Scarlet Letter
Robert Salter
1979
The Jack Bull
Atty. Gen. Metcalfe
1999
The Confession
Jack Renoble
1999
My Boyfriend's Back
Sheriff McCloud
1993
The Valley of Light
Howard
2007
Three Wishes
Coach Schramka
1995
Iceman Reborn
Narrator (voice)
2016
D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear
Douglas Duncan
2003
Eddie Macon's Run
Rudy Potts
1983
Boss of Bosses
Joseph O'Brien
2001
The Misfit Brigade
Tiny
1987
Defenseless
Bull Dozer
1991
Northern Borders
Agent Sanders
2015
The Prince of Pennsylvania
Trooper Joe
1988
ATF
Sam Sinclair
1999
Hair High
Football Announcer (voice)
2004
Silver Strand
Lucas Hughes
1995
Greetings from the Shore
Commodore Callaghan
2007Endsville
Bo Tatum
2000
The Road to Galena
John Baird
2022
My Husband's Double Life
Patrick Hennessy Welsh
2001I'm Coming Over
Walter
2011
Cross Creek
Charles Rawlings
1983
The Undying
Dr. Russell Lassiter
2009
Citizen Berlusconi
Narrator
2003
The Last Brickmaker in America
Mike Potter
2001
Just Like in the Movies
Ryan Legrand
1989
Girl From the North Country
Nick Laine
2024
Revealing Evidence: Stalking the Honolulu Strangler
Tom Marshall
1990
A Doctor's Story
Dr. Curtis
1984
The Secret Life of Girls
1999
Uncle Vanya
Vanya
2019
The Day Christ Died
Peter
1980
NOVA: The Great Math Mystery
Narrator (voice)
2015
Abby Singer
Kevin's Father
2003
The Matchmaker
Senator John McGlory
1997
Hunting the Edge of Space
Presenter
2011
Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story
Dick Willey
1983
A Novel Romance
Walter Evans
2011
Down Came a Blackbird
Jan Talbeck
1995
Regular Singing
Richard Apple
2020
State of Emergency
Dr. Jeffrey Forrest
1994
Happenstance
Bob
2007
Tapes
2020
Incidental Moments of the Day
Richard Apple
2020
Earthly Possessions
Zack Emery
1999
Tumbleweeds
Dan Miller
1999The Revolt of Mother
Adam Penn
1988
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee
2024
And So We Come Forth
Richard Apple
2020
Meeting Venus
Stephen Taylor
1991
Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time
Narrator (voice)
2015
Picnic
Howard Bevens
2000
What Do We Need to Talk About?
Richard Apple
2020
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Two: What Did You Expect?
George Gabriel
2017
Outrage
Frank Brand
2023
That Hopey Changey Thing
Richard Apple
2020
Holocaust Escape Tunnel
Narrator (voice)
2017
The Rise & Fall of the Colosseum
Narration
2025
The Jewel
Mr. Rothman
2011
NOVA: Decoding da Vinci
Narrator (voice)
2019
Sorry
Richard Apple
2020
NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice
Narrator (voice)
2016
Queens of Combat: Rome's Female Gladiators
Narrator
2026
The Man Who Saved the World
Narrator (voice)
2012
Cold Sassy Tree
Clayton McAllister
1989
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play Three: Women of a Certain Age
George Gabriel
2017
Starstruck
Mr. Miller
1981
Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse
Narrator (voice)
2015
Dead Dog
Frank Edmonds
2001
Dawn of Humanity
Narrator (voice)
2015
Decoding the Universe
Narrator
2024
Nobody's Children
Joe Stevens
1994
Wrestling with Alligators
Rick
1998
The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry
George Gabriel
2017
Adventures in Plymptoons!
Self
2011
NOVA: Cold Case JFK
Narrator (voice)
2013
The Prosecutors
DA Alan Baker
1996
Wild Costa Rica
Narrator
2000
NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs
Narrator (voice)
2008
Earth from Space
Narrator (voice)
2012
NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower
Self - Narrator (voice)
2013
Riddles of the Sphinx
Narrator (voice)
2010
DC Noir
Sgt. Peters
2019
NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword
Narrator (voice)
2012The River
Phil
2013
Rio Shannon
John Cleary
1993
Saving the Dead Sea
2019
The Dissection of Thanksgiving
Cliff
2008
Hostages
Terry Anderson
1992
Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts
Narrator (voice)
2016
The Violin Alone
Narrator (voice)
2019
World War Speed: The Drugs That Won WWII
Narrator
2019
Decoding the Universe: Quantum
Self - Narrator
2024
NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?
Narrator (voice)
2013
NOVA: Why Trains Crash
Narrator (voice)
2017
NOVA: Life's Rocky Start
Narrator (voice)
2016
NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial
Narrator (voice)
2007
Ghosts of Stonehenge
Narrator (voice)
2017Vice
Governor
2018
Sweet and Sad
Richard Apple
2020
NOVA: First Face of America
Narrator (voice)
2018
Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
Self - Narrator
2024
NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs
Narrator (voice)
2017
The Gathering Swarms
Narrator (voice)
2014
NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers
Narrator (voice)
2018
Broken Places
Narrator (voice)
2018Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files
Narrator (voice)
2019
NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark
Narrator (voice)
2015
Secrets of Stonehenge
Narrator (voice)
2010
NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare
Narrator (voice)
2016Kill the Day
Dr. Susskind
2008