A Connecticut native, Jay Ferraro was born in New Haven on January 7, 1985. Growing up on the films of Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, and Bruce Willis, Jay knew early on that he wanted to be an entertainer. He got his first taste of showbiz participating in school plays as early as kindergarten. His first formal training did not come along until high school when he studied stage acting with Broadway director Louis Burke at the Stratford Festival Theater in Stratford, Connecticut.

After graduating high school from Notre Dame of West Haven,  Jay moved to New York to further pursue his acting career. He attended Hofstra University on Long Island where he received a bachelor’s degree in film production. While pursuing his film degree, Jay was an active member of The Hofstra Filmmakers Club. In his three years in the club, Jay wrote, directed, produced, and acted in more than ten films. While attending Hofstra, Jay had the opportunity to study screen acting with Tony award winner and Hofstra Alumna, Lainie Kazan.

Upon graduating from Hofstra,  Jay remained in New York and continued acting and producing. In the fall of 2008,  Jay and lifelong friend Chris McCarthy created, produced, and starred in the web series Fantasy Life which ran for five episodes and chronicles the lives of three fantasy sport obsessed friends. In early 2009 he began hitting the New York stand up comedy scene, performing at the Times Square Comedy Club and Gotham Comedy Club.  

He has had many supporting roles in independent films. In the summer of 2009,  he was featured in the independent film Caught, directed by six time Emmy award winner Elizabeth Page.