Jay Gillespie was born in Dallas, Texas. The youngest of three children and the only boy, Jay spent his childhood in Houston before the family moved to Connecticut. Eager to return to his Southern roots, he started undergrad at the College of Charleston, where he first discovered his love of acting. Ready to pursue his newfound dream, the transient Jay settled in New York to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His first film was O Beautiful (2002), featured in Boys Life 4: Four Play (2003). He recently completed the lead role in Tim Sullivan's 2001 Maniacs (2005).