Jay Thomas

The Jay Thomas Show was heard for a number of years on Sirius Satellite Radio Monday through Fridays, 3:00PM to 6:00PM on Sirius Stars Too, Channel 108. Jay broadcast from California, New York, and New Orleans. [January 2005]

Every holiday season since 1998, he was asked by David Letterman to knock the meatball off the top of the "Late Show" Christmas tree with a football. The tradition began when quarterback Vinny Testaverde had trouble doing it, and Thomas said he could do it, instead.

Starred with Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995). He later appeared in two episodes of Dreyfuss' TV series The Education of Max Bickford (2001).

During the summer of 1967, Jay (then Jon Terrell) worked as an apprentice at the Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, Connecticut. His apprenticeship duties involved building sets at this summer stock theatre. However, Jay would try out his stand-up comic routines on the rest of the staff. These became such a distraction that management changed his duties to mowing the lawn on the grounds. His claim to fame was to serve as the dresser for Tom Poston, who was appearing in a play there. Jay also served as Poston's driver for the week. He drove Poston in to New York to appear on To Tell the Truth (1956), for which Poston was a regular panelist for at that time. During that week's program, Poston made mention of Jay as an up-and-coming comedian who America would soon know about.