Jay discovered acting at age 10 when, like many theater kids, he realized sports just weren’t his thing. What started as a reluctant last resort quickly became his favorite hobby. But it wasn’t until he was 18—on the verge of committing to an engineering degree—that fate quite literally danced past him. A tour group of theater BFA students, twirling and singing their way through campus, sparked a revelation: acting wasn’t just a passion; it could be a career.

Determined, Jay spent the next four years immersed in the University of Rhode Island’s Fine Arts Center, stepping out only for sleep—and even then, barely. Summers were packed with training programs and performances. By the time he graduated, he had acted in 14 productions, directed two, and completed two intensive programs. With a deep respect for the craft and an insatiable curiosity, he set off to New Zealand for what was meant to be a one-year reset to figure out his next steps.