Jason Austin Wiles is an American actor, writer, and director who grew up in Lenexa, Kansas, far removed from the film industry. After high school, he worked briefly for the local Parks and Recreation department and passed on an opportunity to play college football, eventually finding his way onto film sets in Kansas City in the early 1990s. Early behind-the-scenes work on Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990) and the Stephen King adaptation Sometimes They Come Back (1991) sparked his interest in acting and led him to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue it professionally. Wiles built his career through commercials, independent films, and recurring television roles before gaining wider recognition as NYPD officer Maurice “Bosco” Boscorelli on Third Watch (1999–2005), appearing in all six seasons. Since then, he has remained a steady presence on television and in film, with roles in Commander in Chief (2005–2006), Army Wives (2007), Zodiac (2007), The Stepfather (2009), Persons Unknown (2010), Criminal Minds (2006, 2010), Law & Order: SVU (2010), Scream (2015–2016), and The Rookie (2024), while also writing and directing independent projects including Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006) and Play Dead (2009).