Wolfgang Bodison

This tall, physically imposing, black American actor made a powerful and convincing acting debut as a Marine defendant in Rob Reiner's blockbuster court-martial drama, "A Few Good Men" (1992). As Lance Cpl. Dawson, Bodison offered a performance that suggested an emotional volcano smoldering behind his crisp military reserve. Something in the set of his lips reveals the proud rebel behind the disciplined facade.

Prior to being asked by Reiner to read for the part, Bodison had never considered a career in acting. With the help of some alumni from his alma mater, the University of Virginia, he had quickly managed to get on the fast track to a career in film production. Bodison began fresh out of college as a file clerk at Columbia Pictures and soon snared a job in the mailroom of Castle Rock (his future mentor's production company). His student/teacher relationship with Reiner began when worked as a set assistant on "Misery" (1990). This deepened into a father/son relationship during the making of "A Few Good Men".

In one of the film's key supporting roles, Bodison garnered impressive reviews and had the opportunity to work with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. Subsequently he decided to pursue an acting career although with very few exceptions, he was typecast as men in uniform. Bodison has essayed several cops (notably in "Freeway" 1996) and military officers (e.g., "Most Wanted" 1997). A rare chance for the actor to create a civilian role was as the groom whose Caucasian fiancee begins to have second thoughts in "The M Word" (1997).