DIY Network

Believe it or not, Jay Baker was not born a handyman. He started out entertaining people as a musical stage performer at the age of 17. That led to a cross-country move to Los Angeles where he spent two decades as a working actor.

Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize Jay's appearances in Dukes of Hazzard, Baywatch, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as other popular television series of the 80's and 90's. He's also featured in the cult classic films April Fools Day and Shag.

In 2001, after moving his family from California back to his native Tennessee, Jay looked for a way to combine his skills as a carpenter and handyman with his professional pursuits in television. That effort paid off when Jay was booked as an on-air carpenter for DIY Network's Emmy-nominated home improvement program, Warehouse Warriors.

Sticking with a formula that works, Jay hosts a number of other home improvement programs for DIY Network including Build an Outdoor Kitchen, Floors, Doors, and Windows, and the popular Ultimate Workshop I and II series. In 2003, he and his co-hosts from Warehouse Warriors provided their carpentry and contracting expertise to the families of service men and women serving in Iraq for the DIY Network series, Help on the Homefront. He can also be seen as the host of a special honoring Habitat for Humanity, called Lending a Hand: Building More Than Houses.

Jay has found yet another way to combine his talent for television and carpentry, this time as an award-winning producer for several DIY Network series.

When he's not working on a television program-in front of or behind the camera-Jay's working on his home, spending time with his family, or taking a walk in the woods to feed his fascination with nature.

Catch the "host with the most" on DIY Network's special, Project Paradise.