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Jay Harrington

Jay Harrington

Actor · Born November 15, 1971 (54) · Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA

James H. Harrington III, professionally known as Jay Harrington, is an American actor. He is known for his role as the title character in the ABC sitcom Better Off Ted and as Deacon Kay in the CBS crime action series S.W.A.T.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 15, 1971 (54)
From
Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 41% in 30 days

What are Jay Harrington's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Bonds
28%
Self
18%
Society
15%
Survival
5%
Power
4%
Community4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 0 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 4
Hero
1 of 4
Mentor
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
4
Warm
3
Tense
2
Hopeful
2
Absurd
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jay Harrington's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jay Harrington's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page.

  • S.W.A.T. Exiles(2026)

    Show 10 episodes · as David 'Deacon' Kay

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • S.W.A.T.(2017)

    Show 163 episodes · Director · as David 'Deacon' Kay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • High Low Forty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Gus

  • Divorce: The Greatest Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow(2015)

    as Ron Emmerson

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Benched(2014)

    Show 12 episodes · as Phil

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Least I Could Do (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Rayne

  • Y/N: You Lie, You Die(2012)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • American Reunion(2012)

    as Dr. Ron

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Love Guide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Al

  • Suits(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mark Meadows

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Love Bites (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Brian

  • Harry's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as James Higgins

  • Hot in Cleveland(2010)

    Show 11 episodes · as Alec

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Better Off Ted(2009)

    Show 26 episodes · as Ted Crisp

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Private Practice(2007)

    Show 5 episodes · as Dr. Wyatt Lockhart

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Burn Notice(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Erik Luna

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy(2006)

    as Tyler Lucas

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Whisperer(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mark Powell

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Partner(s) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Dave Denali

  • The Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 13 episodes · as Special Agent Paul Ryan

  • Desperate Housewives(2004)

    Show 7 episodes · as Dr. Ron McCready

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Summerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 10 episodes · as Dr. Simon O'Keefe

  • Coupling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 10 episodes · as Steve Taylor

  • Las Vegas(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Cole Helmsley

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows

  • Without a Trace(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Will Sterling

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Shield(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Ross

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • A Little Inside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Ryan McGillian

  • The Division (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 10 episodes · as Theodore Blumenthal

  • Octopus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Roy Turner

  • Whatever It Takes(2000)

    as Cop

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Anywhere But Here(1999)

    as Waiter

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Time of Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Catalina Trust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Marshall Pike

  • The Pretender(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Det. Maxwell

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Nash Bridges(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Scott

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Pacific Blue(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Mitch

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Star Trek: Voyager(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Ravoc

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 38 titles from 1995 to 2026; peak year 1999.

Highest rated

Better Off Ted (2009)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

S.W.A.T. (2017)

Film career

19952026

Peak 1999 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting38 of 38: 37 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting1 of 38: 0 only directing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s7 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s13 · 13 acting · 1 crew2020s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Jay Harrington's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

S.W.A.T. Exiles (2026)

88th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Better Off Ted (2009)

Midcredits 91st · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.