After graduating from SUNY Purchase, Jay Sanders moved to NYC where he began appearing regularly in off-Broadway productions before making his Broadway debut, opposite Kevin Kline and Christine Lahti, in Michael Weller's "Loose Ends" (1979-80). That same year he made his feature debut with a small role in Alan J. Pakula's "Starting Over." Sanders has gone on to appear in a number of notable period films including Francis Ford Coppola's "Tucker: A Man and His Dream" (1988), as one of several mechanics helping the title character realize his vision; "Glory" (1989), as a Union general; and Oliver Stone's "JFK" (1991), as a member of Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) staff. On the small screen, Sanders could be found in several TV-movies, miniseries and failed series. Some of his TV highlights have included "The Day Christ Died" (CBS, 1980), playing Peter to Chris Sarandon's Jesus, and "Cold Sassy Tree" (TNT, 1989). In addition to his film and TV work, Sanders has also remained active in theater.