Brian Wolfgang Bodison(born November 19, 1966) is an American actor andcreative directorbest known for playing Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson in the 1992 drama filmA Few Good Men.
Wolfgang Bodison | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 19, 1966 |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia(BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Early life
editBrian Wolfgang Bodison[1]was born on November 19, 1966, inWashington, D.C.[2][3]His mother, Dorothea Bodison, worked for theNational Institutes of Health.[4]His father died in a car accident when he was a child.[5]
In 1988, he graduated from theUniversity of VirginiainCharlottesville, Virginia,[2][4]where he playedfootball,as a team member of theVirginia Cavaliers,and earned adegree in fine arts.[1][6][7]
Career
editLife before acting
editAfter his graduation, Bodison was hired as a file clerk atColumbia Pictures.From there, he was hired for a job in 1989 at the mail room atCastle Rock Entertainment.[1][6]
Rob Reinermade Bodison his personal assistant on the set ofMisery(1990).[4][6][7]At the time, Bodison had an aspiration on becoming ascreenwriterandfilm directorand would take notes on Reiner's direction.[1][4][8]
Bodison was also credited as being the picture-car coordinator forJohn Singleton's film,Boyz n the Hood(1991). "My job was to go intoSouth Centraland get some of the car clubs interested in the movie, "Bodison said.[1][4]
A Few Good Men
editAt first, Reiner made Bodison his location manager forA Few Good Men(1992). However, Reiner had trouble casting for the role of Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson, a young Marine on trial for the murder of a private.[1]
"We were talking, and he said, 'Wolf, have you ever acted?'" Bodison said. "I said, 'No, man.' He said, 'Ever thought about it?' 'No.' He said, 'Well, I'm trying to cast the movie, and I haven't found anyone for Dawson who fits my vision. Why don't you read for it?'" Since Bodison had never acted before, he hired Julie Ariola, an acting coach. "He's a very creative kid and very intelligent," Ariola said. "He was like a sponge. He took every suggestion."[1]
In August 1991, shortly after Bodison's audition, he was called back to read again. Three days later: "I stopped at a pay phone, called Rob, and he said, 'Wolf, welcome to the movie business.'" Bodison said. "Man, I damn near dropped the phone. Then I went home and sat down in front of my window. I thought, 'What in the hell is going on?'"[1]
"I wasn't the least bit surprised he got the job," said Ariola on Bodison getting what became his most well known role. "Destiny. That's what it was."[1]
On her review of the film,The Washington Postfilm critic Rita Kempley described Bodison as an "impressive non-actor".[9]On his review,Hartford Courantfilm critic Malcolm Johnson described him as "fierce" and "devoted".[10]Writing for theLos Angeles Times,David Gritten wrote that Bodison "played it from the heart and gut. I've never seen anyone express contempt with just one look the way he does. He was enormously good at conveying complicated emotions without a word. You knew exactly how he felt."[11]Film criticVincent CanbyofThe New York Timeswrote, "Mr. Bodison, a new young actor whose performance as the more prominent defendant gives the film its melancholy shock value."[12]
Later career
editOther films Bodison appeared in includeLittle Big League(1994),The Expert(1995),Freeway(1996),Goodbye America(1997),Most Wanted(1997),Joe Somebody(2001),Akeelah and the Bee(2006) andLegacy(2010). Television credits include recurring roles onNothing SacredandFamily Law,as well as guest-star appearances on hit shows such asHighlander: The Series,CSI: NY,CSI: Miami,NCIS,Cane,ER,andPerception.[5][13][14][15][16]
Bodison's aspiration to become a screenwriter and director came true by writing and directing the short films,Simone,Broken,Sarah's Wish,andThe Long Wait,all of which have screened in major festivals worldwide. In the latter film he also starred, along withElizabeth Yoder,with whom he first collaborated at Playhouse West inLos Angeles."Working with Wolfgang was incredible," Yoder recalls. "He made the writing process easy. What we shared was an understanding of how devastating these unresolved emotions can be, especially through the lens of childhood. After my 24 year quest for solace, understanding and redemption, it's been enormously cathartic." Bodison and Yoder shared the Storytelling Achievement Award at the 2014 Laughlin International Film Festival. "It's a story of forgiveness," Bodison explains. "Winning the Storytelling Award means a lot because, as writer and director, my job is to tell a great story. This recognition is a huge personal achievement." Bodison also won the Best Director Award at the Playhouse West Film Festival as well as two additional awards for Best Actor and Best Short Film at the 2014Beaufort International Film Festival.[5][17][18]
In 2014, he appeared in the independent feature,Ragamuffin.[5][19]
Bodison is theartistic directorat theLos Angelesbranch of thePlayhouse West School and Repertory Theatre.[20]
Select filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | A Few Good Men | Lance CorporalHarold Dawson, USMC | |
| 1994 | Little Big League | Spencer Hamilton | |
| 1994 | Criminal Passion | Jordan Monroe | |
| 1995 | The Expert | Don Mason | |
| 1996 | Freeway | Detective Mike Breer | |
| 1997 | Goodbye America | Jack Hamilton | |
| Most Wanted | Captain Steve Braddock | ||
| 2001 | Joe Somebody | Cade Raymond | |
| 2006 | Akeelah and the Bee | Samuel Anderson (Akeelah's father who was shot while coming home from work) | |
| 2010 | Legacy | Jim Burgess | |
| 2011 | Not Another Not Another Movie | Himself | |
| 2014 | The Appearing | Father Callahan | |
| 2015 | Caught | Coach |
References
edit- ^abcdefghiJohnson, Dave (27 June 1993)."A Few Good Breaks".Daily Press.Retrieved28 February2015.
- ^ab"Wolfgang Bodison".The New York Times.
- ^"Wolfgang Bodison".Hollywood.Archived2014-09-16 at theWayback Machine
- ^abcdeHall, Carla (2 March 1993)."TOM, JACK, DEMI... AND WOLFGANG?".Deseret News.Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2015.Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^abcd"Critically-Acclaimed Film 'The Long Wait' Receives 'Storytelling Achievement' Award at the 2014 Laughlin International Film Festival".PR Web.3 November 2014.Retrieved28 February2015.
- ^abcGarey, Juliann (20 November 1992)."Wolfgang Bodison -- The neophyte actor hopesA Few Good Menis the beginning of a long film career ".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved12 April2015.
- ^abWilson, Justin (21 January 1993)."A 'Good' man is hard to find".The Cavalier Daily.Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^King, Susan (5 December 1992)."Rob Reiner Needed One Good Neophyte Actor for 'Few Good Men'".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Kempley, Rita (11 December 1992)."'A Few Good Men'".The Washington Post.Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^Johnson, Malcolm (11 December 1992)."Nicholson Carries 'A Few Good Men' To The Verdict".Hartford Courant.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Gritten, David (28 March 1993)."Calendar Goes To The Oscars: A Hollywood Legend's List: Veteran director Fred Zinnemann, 85, whose films have won more than 25 Academy Awards, casts his eye over this year's top Oscar nominees".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Canby, Vincent (11 December 1992)."A Few Good Men (1992)Review/Film; Two Marines and Their Code on Trial".The New York Times.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^"WOLFGANG BODISON".Tcm.Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^Bobbin, Jay (30 July 1995)."'True Lies' (HBO) A liberal mix of action and humor... "Chicago Tribune.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Wilmington, Michael (24 January 1997)."'Freeway' A Grimly Comic Retelling Of Red Riding Hood And The Wolf ".Chicago Tribune.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Ebert, Roger (24 January 1997)."FREEWAY".Chicago Sun-Times.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^"Elizabeth Yoder Wins" Best Actor "at 8th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival for The Long Wait".Marketwired.4 March 2014.Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^Thomas, Kevin (11 October 1996)."'Freeway' Takes Detour on Way to Grandma's House ".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved21 July2015.
- ^Sarachik, Justin (27 February 2014)."Rich Mullins Movie 'Ragamuffin' Set to Premiere May 2 in Select Theaters Across the Country".Retrieved20 July2015.
- ^"Auditing an Acting Class at Playhouse West".Archived from the original on 4 April 2015.Retrieved12 April2015.