Robert Dugoni's "Bodily Harm"

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Robert Dugoni has practiced as a civil litigator in San Francisco and Seattle for seventeen years. In 1999 he left the full-time practice of law to write, and is a two-time winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a degree in journalism and worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before obtaining his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law.

Here he shares some thoughts on casting the David Sloane character in an adaptation of his series which includes the recently released Bodily Harm:

I honestly never thought about who could play David Sloane in my three novel series, The Jury Master, Wrongful Death and Bodily Harm. Sloane is a unique hero – a lawyer who is brilliant but also physically capable. Readers have suggested Tom Cruise – nope not enough grit. Brad Pitt – perhaps but he likes the quirkier movie roles. Leonardo DiCaprio – maybe too much grit. And of course, George Clooney – perfect but maybe too old by the time the first movie came out. I like Matt Damon, who I think gets better and better, but not sure he pulls off the intellectual lead that well. Then the other day I was sitting watching Iron Man 2 with my kids and I suddenly started to consider Robert Downey Jr., who wasn’t even on my radar. I thought of Sherlock Holmes, in which he displayed a character who could be both heroic physically and intellectually brilliant. I remembered then his stint on the television show Ally McBeal, in which he was the best part of the show. So I started thinking, you know. He might just be the right fit and the dark complexion helps fit who the character is.

The best fit of any character I’ve ever written is Charlize Theron to play Dana Hill in Damage Control. She would be perfect. Anyone who can get a copy of the book to her gets a part in the movie.

Learn more about the book and author at Robert Dugoni's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: Wrongful Death.

The Page 69 Test: Bodily Harm.

--Marshal Zeringue