An American actor, Jay Paulson’s career in acting began when, as a ninth-grade student, he missed the school bus and his friends convinced him to try out for his school’s production of Interview. Paulson was given the starring role, and when he stepped into high school, he kept on auditioning for plays and continued to be cast as the lead. His performance on a production of Once in a Lifetime got the attention of a talent scout, and Paulson has since then worked hard to build a professional acting career.
Jay Paulson’s first big break in television came when he landed the role of “Sean” on the sitcom, Cybill. He also starred in the TV production Trial by Fire, released in 1995. He later made appearances on Public Morals and NYPD Blue, before he landed a role in Dennis Cooper’s drama Academy Boyz. His next appearance was on the series Just Shoot Me!, which was followed by roles in Can’t Hardly Wait, Permanent Midnight and in the TV movie Blind Men. In 1999, Paulson starred in three films, namely Dancing with Agnes, Stranger in My House and Go. He also became known for playing the detective savant Carl Zernial in the Gary David Goldberg series, Battery Park. He soon gained a number of guest roles, such as those in The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mad Men, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Invisible Man. Another credit attributed to Jay Paulson is his collaborative efforts with Christopher Guest in developing the role of "Curtis the Stock Boy" in a Kellogg's Frosted Flakes campaign. In 2003, Paulson was seen on the critically acclaimed film Rolling Kansas, which premiered at that year’s Sundance Film Festival. He later got a role opposite Sigourney Weaver in Imaginary Heroes. In 2007, he joined the cast of the ABC series October Road, portraying the character Physical Phil. An avid reader, Jay Paulson is also known for being a nationally ranked, competitive Scrabble player.