Jay Underwood
A teen movie fixture who traded Hollywood for the pulpit, finding his most defining role off-screen.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actor and pastor·Birthday: October 1·Generation X
Biography
Jay Underwood's face was familiar to a generation of 80s kids, embodying a specific brand of wholesome, all-American teen in a string of cult films. He broke out as the titular autistic boy with a mysterious gift in 'The Boy Who Could Fly,' a role that required a silent, physical performance of remarkable sensitivity. He followed this with leads in Disney Channel movies like 'Not Quite Human' and a memorable turn as John Candy's wisecracking nephew in 'Uncle Buck.' Yet at the height of his visibility, Underwood began a profound personal shift. Disillusioned with the industry, he stepped away from acting, earned a theology degree, and was ordained as a pastor. His journey from portraying heroes on screen to ministering in real life marked one of Hollywood's more unexpected and sincere second acts.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jay was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jay Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jay's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead, Eric Gibb, in the beloved 1986 fantasy-drama film 'The Boy Who Could Fly'.
- Played the iconic comic book character the Human Torch in the 1994 'Fantastic Four' film produced by Roger Corman.
- Portrayed Chip Carson in the popular Disney Channel original movie series 'Not Quite Human'.
- Appeared as Bug, the sarcastic nephew, in John Candy's classic comedy 'Uncle Buck'.
Did You Know?
He was ordained as a pastor at Calvary Chapel in Fresno, California.
He played a young Ernest Hemingway in an episode of 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'.
The 1994 'Fantastic Four' film he starred in was famously produced on a low budget and never officially released theatrically.
He left acting for several years in the 1990s to focus on his religious studies and ministry.
“True strength is found in stillness, not in the words you say.”
