Bodhi Rader was born in Lower Saxony, Germany to Ilse Rader and Abbey Rader. His father, a renowned drummer, was raised in the Bronx, New York, while Bodhi's mother was born and raised in Germany. Bodhi grew up as a native German speaker on a farm in a small village, before his family relocated to Florida. He attended middle and high school in South Florida, before achieving a Bachelor of Science summa-cum-laude from the University of Florida. After serving four years as an Air Force officer, he attended the University of Cambridge for a Master's in Sustainable Development Engineering. Though he excelled in school, Bodhi was a keen study of people, and realized he needed to honor his creative desires. He began acting after honing his performance as a public speaker, group fitness instructor, and team leader motivated by a desire to reach others through performance. He made his debut with commercial acting and independent film roles.