Jay was born in Bromley, Kent in 1983 to a father who was a BBC assistant director and producer. As a result, Jay spent a significant amount of time on television and film locations around the UK from an early age.
Upon completing his secondary education, Jay decided to pursue a career in acting and applied to various drama schools. In 2003, he was accepted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he received a three-year intensive classical acting training.
Following his graduation, Jay began working in television and film, making his debut in the BBC4 period drama biopic 'Daphne' and later appearing in the violent gangland drama 'Rise Of The Footsoldier'. He also took to the stage, performing at esteemed theatres such as Shakespeare's Globe, the Trafalgar Studios, and the Royal Court.
Jay's breakthrough role came when he starred in the cult thriller 'Donkey Punch' for Warp Films/Film4, which received global critical acclaim and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Over the next few years, Jay continued to appear in a wide range of projects, including George Lucas' 'RedTails', the Glasgow Citizens Theatre production of 'A Clockwork Orange', BBC4's 'Consuming Passion', E4's 'Misfits', Channel 4's 'Sirens', BBC comedy 'Teaboys', and alongside Simon Pegg in the Universal Pictures feature film 'A Fantastic Fear Of Everything'.
In 2012, Jay appeared in Joel Horwood's 'I Heart Peterborough' at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh and the Soho Theatre, London, earning an Off West End Award nomination for best ensemble alongside his co-star Milo Twomey. During this time, Jay also began to focus on his writing, penning plays, screenplays, and short film scripts.
Jay's writing career took off when he collaborated with his brother Mark on a pair of 5-minute short films, 'Homecoming' and 'London Bridge', which received critical acclaim and featured on FilmShortage.com's Weekend Shortlist and numerous other online platforms. Their latest project is the 15-minute short film 'Laura', a story about a young girl being exploited by London criminals.
