About
Jay O. Sanders
Overview
Jay Olcutt Sanders (born April 16, 1953) is an American actor. He is noted for his TV roles as Bill Weller on Blindspot, Jack Bryant on Manhunt, Chief Tom Lidell on The Sinner, Det. John Maynard on Widows, Capt. Joseph Hannah on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and mob lawyer Steven Kordo in NBC's detective series Crime Story (1986-1988), as well as his film roles on The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Green Lantern (2011), and the Alex Cross films starring Morgan Freeman.
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 (1996), The Matchmaker (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), Tumbleweeds (1999), Music of the Heart (1999), Half Nelson (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Revolutionary Road (2008).
He is also known as the narrator for the PBS series Wide Angle from 2002–2009 and has served as narrator for a number of Nova episodes and documentary specials starting in 2007.
He is the voice of D.S. McKenna in the Red Dead Redemption video game series.
Known for
Acting |
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| 2024 | Girl From the North Country | Actor | Nick Laine | N/A N/A |
| 2024 | His Three Daughters | Actor | Vincent | 61 Fair |
| 2024 | Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch | Actor | Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee | N/A N/A |
| 2024 | Decoding the Universe | Actor | Narrator | N/A N/A |
| 2023 | Outrage | Actor | Frank Brand | 58 Average |
| 2023 | When You Finish Saving the World | Actor | Roger | 58 Average |
| 2022 | BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | Actor | Ambassador Jones | 62 Fair |
| 2022 | The Road to Galena | Actor | John Baird | 58 Average |
| 2020 | Incidental Moments of the Day | Actor | Richard Apple | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | And So We Come Forth | Actor | Richard Apple | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | Tapes | Actor | N/A N/A |
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| 2020 | What Do We Need to Talk About? | Actor | Richard Apple | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | That Hopey Changey Thing | Actor | Richard Apple | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | Sorry | Actor | Richard Apple | 58 Average |
| 2020 | Sweet and Sad | Actor | Richard Apple | 58 Average |
| 2020 | Regular Singing | Actor | Richard Apple | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | Manhunt: Deadly Games | Actor | Watson Bryant | N/A N/A |
| 2020 | The Assistant | Actor | Boss (voice) | 60 Fair |
| 2019 | NOVA: Decoding da Vinci | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2019 | Uncle Vanya | Actor | Vanya | N/A N/A |
| 2019 | DC Noir | Actor | Sgt. Peters | 59 Average |
| 2019 | Saving the Dead Sea | Actor | N/A N/A |
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| 2019 | Secrets of the Dead: The Nero Files | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2019 | The Violin Alone | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2018 | Broken Places | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2018 | NOVA: Prediction by the Numbers | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2018 | NOVA: First Face of America | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2018 | Vice | Actor | Governor | N/A N/A |
| 2017 | Ghosts of Stonehenge | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2017 | NOVA: Holocaust Escape Tunnel | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2017 | Leonardo: The Man Who Saved Science | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2017 | Women of a Certain Age | Actor | George Gabriel | N/A N/A |
| 2017 | What Did You Expect? | Actor | George Gabriel | N/A N/A |
| 2017 | Hungry | Actor | George Gabriel | N/A N/A |
| 2017 | NOVA: Why Trains Crash | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2017 | NOVA: Secrets of the Sky Tombs | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2016 | Secrets of the Dead: Graveyard of the Giant Beasts | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2016 | Catfight | Actor | Angry Guy | 57 Average |
| 2016 | NOVA: Iceman Reborn | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2016 | NOVA: Mystery Beneath the Ice | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2016 | NOVA: Life's Rocky Start | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2016 | NOVA: Secret Tunnel Warfare | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2015 | Inside Einstein's Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2015 | Secrets of the Dead: The Real Trojan Horse | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2015 | NOVA: Secrets of Noah's Ark | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2015 | Dawn of Humanity | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2015 | NOVA: The Great Math Mystery | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2015 | NOVA: Colosseum , Roman Death Trap | Actor | Narrator (voice) | N/A N/A |
| 2015 | Northern Borders | Actor | Agent Sanders | 59 Average |
| 2014 | The Mystery of Mona Lisa | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2014 | The Gathering Swarms | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2013 | NOVA: Cold Case JFK | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2013 | NOVA: Ground Zero Supertower | Actor | Self - Narrator (voice) | 58 Average |
| 2013 | The River | Actor | Phil | 59 Average |
| 2013 | NOVA: Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby? | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 58 Average |
| 2012 | Earth from Space | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2012 | The Man Who Saved the World | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2012 | NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2011 | A Novel Romance | Actor | Walter Evans | 59 Average |
| 2011 | I'm Coming Over | Actor | Walter | 59 Average |
| 2011 | Green Lantern | Actor | Carl Ferris | 52 Average |
| 2011 | Adventures in Plymptoons! | Actor | Himself | 59 Average |
| 2011 | The Jewel | Actor | Mr. Rothman | 59 Average |
| 2010 | NOVA: Building the Great Cathedrals | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2010 | Edge of Darkness | Actor | Whitehouse | 61 Fair |
| 2010 | Riddles of the Sphinx | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2010 | Secrets of Stonehenge | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2009 | I Hate Valentine's Day | Actor | Tim the Delivery Guy | 57 Average |
| 2009 | The Undying | Actor | Dr. Russell Lassiter | 59 Average |
| 2008 | Revolutionary Road | Actor | Bart Pollock | 68 Fair |
| 2008 | Cadillac Records | Actor | Mr. Feder | 64 Fair |
| 2008 | NOVA: Arctic Dinosaurs | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2008 | The Dissection of Thanksgiving | Actor | Cliff | N/A N/A |
| 2008 | Greetings from the Shore | Actor | Commodore Callaghan | 59 Average |
| 2007 | NOVA: Judgement Day - Intelligent Design on Trial | Actor | Narrator (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2007 | Happenstance | Actor | Bob | N/A N/A |
| 2007 | The Valley of Light | Actor | Howard | 59 Average |
| 2006 | Wedding Daze | Actor | Sheriff | 57 Average |
| 2006 | Half Nelson | Actor | Russ Dunne | 63 Fair |
| 2004 | The Day After Tomorrow | Actor | Frank Harris | 64 Fair |
| 2004 | Hair High | Actor | Football Announcer (voice) | 59 Average |
| 2003 | Abby Singer | Actor | Kevin's Father | 58 Average |
| 2003 | D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear | Actor | Douglas Duncan | 59 Average |
| 2002 | Salem Witch Trials | Actor | Thomas Putnam | 59 Average |
| 2002 | Widows | Actor | Detective John Maynard | N/A N/A |
| 2001 | Dead Dog | Actor | Frank Edmonds | 58 Average |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Actor | Joseph Hannah | 75 Good |
| 2001 | The Last Brickmaker in America | Actor | Mike Potter | 59 Average |
| 2001 | Boss of Bosses | Actor | Joseph O'Brien | 58 Average |
| 2001 | Along Came a Spider | Actor | Kyle Craig | 62 Fair |
| 2001 | My Husband's Double Life | Actor | Patrick Hennessy Welsh | 58 Average |
| 2001 | My Husband's Double Life | Actor | Timothy Michael Kingsbury | 58 Average |
| 2000 | Picnic | Actor | Howard Bevens | 58 Average |
| 2000 | Wild Costa Rica | Actor | Narrator | N/A N/A |
| 1999 | Tumbleweeds | Actor | Dan Miller | 59 Average |
| 1999 | Music of the Heart | Actor | Dan Paxton | 61 Fair |
| 1999 | ATF | Actor | Sam Sinclair | 58 Average |
| 1999 | The Secret Life of Girls | Actor | 59 Average |
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| 1999 | The Jack Bull | Actor | Atty. Gen. Metcalfe | 59 Average |
| 1999 | The Confession | Actor | Jack Renoble | 58 Average |
| 1999 | Earthly Possessions | Actor | Zack Emery | 59 Average |
| 1998 | The Odd Couple II | Actor | Leroy | 59 Average |
| 1998 | Wrestling with Alligators | Actor | Rick | 59 Average |
| 1997 | For Richer or Poorer | Actor | Samuel Yoder | 59 Average |
| 1997 | The Matchmaker | Actor | Senator John McGlory | 59 Average |
| 1997 | Kiss the Girls | Actor | FBI Agent Kyle Craig | 63 Fair |
| 1996 | Daylight | Actor | Steven Crighton | 60 Fair |
| 1996 | The Prosecutors | Actor | DA Alan Baker | N/A N/A |
| 1995 | Silver Strand | Actor | Lucas Hughes | 58 Average |
| 1995 | Three Wishes | Actor | Coach Schramka | 59 Average |
| 1995 | Down Came a Blackbird | Actor | Jan Talbeck | 59 Average |
| 1995 | The Big Green | Actor | Jay Huffer | 57 Average |
| 1995 | Kiss of Death | Actor | Federal Agent | 57 Average |
| 1994 | Angels in the Outfield | Actor | Ranch Wilder | 58 Average |
| 1994 | Nobody's Children | Actor | Joe Stevens | 59 Average |
| 1994 | State of Emergency | Actor | Dr. Jeffrey Forrest | 58 Average |
| 1993 | Rio Shannon | Actor | John Cleary | N/A N/A |
| 1993 | My Boyfriend's Back | Actor | Sheriff McCloud | 58 Average |
| 1992 | Hostages | Actor | Terry Anderson | 59 Average |
| 1991 | JFK | Actor | Lou Ivon | 72 Good |
| 1991 | Meeting Venus | Actor | Stephen Taylor | 58 Average |
| 1991 | Defenseless | Actor | Bull Dozer | 58 Average |
| 1991 | V.I. Warshawski | Actor | Murray Ryerson | 57 Average |
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny | Actor | Jackie Earle | 59 Average |
| 1990 | Revealing Evidence - Stalking the Honolulu Strangler | Actor | Tom Marshall | N/A N/A |
| 1989 | Glory | Actor | Gen. George Crockett Strong | 71 Good |
| 1989 | Cold Sassy Tree | Actor | Clayton McAllister | 59 Average |
| 1989 | Just Like in the Movies | Actor | Ryan Legrand | 59 Average |
| 1988 | The Prince of Pennsylvania | Actor | Trooper Joe | 58 Average |
| 1988 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Actor | Kirby | 62 Fair |
| 1987 | The Misfit Brigade | Actor | Tiny | 58 Average |
| 1986 | Crime Story | Actor | Steve Kordo | 74 Good |
| 1984 | A Doctor's Story | Actor | Dr. Curtis | 59 Average |
| 1983 | Cross Creek | Actor | Charles Rawlings | 59 Average |
| 1983 | Eddie Macon's Run | Actor | Rudy Potts | 58 Average |
| 1983 | Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story | Actor | Dick Willey | 58 Average |
| 1982 | Hanky Panky | Actor | Katz | 58 Average |
| 1981 | Starstruck | Actor | Mr. Miller | N/A N/A |
| 1980 | The Day Christ Died | Actor | Peter | 58 Average |
| 1979 | Starting Over | Actor | Larry | 59 Average |
| 1979 | The Scarlet Letter | Actor | Robert Salter | 67 Fair |
Crew |
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| 2011 | Hunting the Edge of Space | Crew | Presenter | N/A N/A |