Jay Hammer (born November 16, 1944) is an American actor best known for his run as freelancer journalist Fletcher Reade who falls in love with Dr. Claire Ramsey on

CBS Daytime CBS Daytime is a division within CBS that is responsible for the daytime television block programming on the CBS' late morning and early afternoon schedule. The block has historically encompassed soap operas and game shows. Schedule NOTE: All ti ...

's ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' from March 1984 until March 1998. He returned briefly in the spring of 1999, and again made an appearance as the show ended in 2009. He had a notable role as Allan Willis during the 1978–1979 season of ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...

''. His character on ''The Jeffersons'' was the son of mixed-race couple Tom and Helen Willis ( Franklin Cover and

Roxie Roker Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress who portrayed Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom '' The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time televisi ...

). Other appearances include roles in '' The Blue Knight'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'', '' Sons and Daughters'', ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television) ...

'', and ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

''. His theater credits include off-Broadway productions of ''Passing Through from Exotic Places'' and ''Serenading Louie''. He played the role of ranch forehand Max Dekker on ''

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

'' in 1981.

Personal life

He lived for five years with ''Texas'' and ''Guiding Light'' writer

Pamela K. Long Pamela K. Long is an American writer and executive producer. Long won several Emmys for her work on CBS soap opera '' Guiding Light'' from 1983 to 1990. She was also writer and executive producer on the NBC film ''Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colo ...

; they have one child. He has been married to Dene Nardi since 1990; they have two children. Hammer wrote for ''Guiding Light'' under the name Charles Jay Hammer.

References

External links

*
Clips from ''Texas'' episodes
1944 births Living people American male soap opera actors American soap opera writers American male screenwriters Male actors from San Francisco University of the Pacific (United States) alumni American male television writers Screenwriters from California {{US-tv-actor-1940s-stub