CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

 

LIEUTENANT DANIEL KAFFEE
Male, 30-40. The primary defense attorney. Easygoing, quick-witted and highly intelligent. A
Harvard-trained lawyer who begins the case preferring easy plea bargains but develops a fierce
determination to uncover the truth.
(Played by Tom Cruise in the film.)

COLONEL NATHAN R. JESSEP
Male, 40-65. The intimidating and supremely confident commanding officer of the Marine base at
Guantanamo Bay. He believes extreme measures are necessary to protect the country and is absolutely
convinced of his own moral righteousness.
(Played by Jack Nicholson in the film.)

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JOANNE GALLOWAY
Female, 25-40. A hardworking, passionate and determined JAG officer. She fights to become involved in
the case and continually pushes Kaffee to look deeper and uncover what really happened.
(Played by Demi Moore in the film.)

LIEUTENANT SAM WEINBERG
Male, 25-45. Kaffee's loyal and laid-back co-counsel. Rational, grounded and a family man, Sam provides
balance as the pressure of the trial increases.

LANCE CORPORAL HAROLD W. DAWSON
Male, 18-21. A stoic, serious and fiercely loyal Marine. The natural leader of the two defendants, Dawson
believes deeply in discipline, honor and protecting his fellow Marines.

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS LOUDEN DOWNEY
Male, 18-23. The younger and less confident of the two defendants. Obedient and respectful, he looks to
Dawson for leadership and generally allows him to speak for them both.

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LIEUTENANT JONATHAN KENDRICK
Male, 25-35. Santiago's platoon commander at Guantanamo Bay. Rigid, zealous and intensely committed
to military discipline, Kendrick preaches an uncompromising code of conduct.
(Played by Kiefer Sutherland in the film.)

CAPTAIN ISAAC WHITAKER
Male, 35-50. A smart, sensible JAG supervisor who oversees Kaffee, Galloway and Weinberg.

CAPTAIN JACK ROSS
Male, 35-55. The prosecutor. An intelligent and highly capable Marine attorney who must balance his
professional duty with his personal friendship with Kaffee.
(Played by Kevin Bacon in the film.)

JUDGE RANDOLPH
Male, 40-75. Smart, sensible and fair. The judge presiding over the murder trial.

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM SANTIAGO
Male, 18-24. Latino. A sincere young Marine who struggles physically to meet the demanding standards of
his unit. His inability to keep up isolates him from the other Marines and ultimately sets the events of the
play in motion.

DOCTOR STONE
Male, 35-65. The doctor responsible for the medical care of the Marines at Guantanamo. Sensible, but
susceptible to pressure.

CAPTAIN MATTHEW MARKINSON
Male, 50-65. The stoic and logical company commander at Guantanamo. He recognizes the danger
created by the unit's culture and becomes increasingly troubled by what has happened.

CORPORAL JEFFREY HOWARD
Male, 18-35. A Marine stationed at Guantanamo who becomes an important witness during the trial.

DOCTOR JEFFREY BARNES
A Navy doctor who becomes involved in the medical evidence surrounding Santiago's death.
Played by Noah Wyle in the film.

MARINE / MILITARY ENSEMBLE
Additional roles include Tom, Dunn, Hammaker, Military Police, platoon members and Sergeant at Arms.
These are flexible ensemble tracks, with actors potentially covering multiple roles.