Jay Johnston was born on October 22, 1968 and was educated at Columbia College Chicago where he studied acting and comedy. He is best known as a writer and performer in the HBO sketch comedy show Mr. Show. On that show, he contributed universal themes as opposed to the more politically and socially satirical material that his fellow writers and performers contributed to the series. He is also the only performer who regularly incorporates physical comedy in his performance.
Since the show concluded, Jay Johsnton took on several cameo appearances on a number of TV series and films. Some of these include roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm and the critically acclaimed Arrested Development. He also worked alongside Will Ferrell on the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Other roles he is credited for are those in 1998’s Jack Frost, 1999’s Bicentennial Man and episodes of Tenacious D, DAG, and Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. He was later seen on The Independent, Agent 15, Hollywood Palms and Hit Clown. In 2001, he portrayed a roadie in Not Another Teen Movie and was seen on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle in 2002. Also that year, Johnston landed a part in Men in Black II, and played Rex on The Master of Disguise.
In 2005, Jay Johnston was seen on Weekends at the DL, and later on American Misfits. He also had a small role in the film Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny starring Jack Black and Kyle Grass. In 2007, Johnson was cast as a fictionalized version of himself on The Sarah Silverman Program. He portrays the character Jay McPherson, a police officer who pulled over Sarah at a playground after she had too much cough syrup. Later, he begins dating Laura even if he dislikes Sarah. However, he still goes out of his way to be nice to her, even if she declares him her mortal enemy. Jay McPherson also won a Humanitarian of the Year award for reading to blind people. He does not celebrate his birthday because his mother died on the same day.