Cody Heller admits she was terrified when she began production on the mockumentary series Jury Duty, which features a cast of actors putting on a fictional civil trial in which one single member of the jury is a non-actor — an everyman named Ronald Gladden — who is unaware that everything around him is completely fake. Over the course of three weeks, Heller ran an experimental production in which much of what happens onscreen was designed to follow Gladden as he serves as the jury’s foreman while sequestered with a motley crew of personalities of varying extremes — including Hollywood actor James Marsden, who earned an Emmy nomination for his supporting turn as a heightened version of himself.
Heller spoke with THR to break down how the series found its hero in Gladden, what extensive preparation was needed to pull off the production and why the end result restored her faith in humanity.
Heller spoke with THR to break down how the series found its hero in Gladden, what extensive preparation was needed to pull off the production and why the end result restored her faith in humanity.
- 8/12/2023
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a decade-long friendship, comedy producers David Bernad and Todd Schulman finally put together their hidden-camera comedy expertise to make Amazon Freevee’s viral success “Jury Duty.”
The executive producers of the overnight hit mockumentary combined their talents for the improvised-scripted sitcom. Bernad and Schulman began with the idea to hone in on sitcom genre tropes and create a story about an isolated individual amongst a cast of actors as they served on a sequestered jury.
The two have had successful stints with unconventional comedy subgenres, most recently within the improvised-scripted sphere. Schulman worked with Sacha Baron Cohen on “Who Is America?” and Bernad teamed with Eric Andre on “Bad Trip.” Prior to “Jury Duty,” Schulman served as executive producer on “Borat,” “Bruno,” “The Lovebirds” and “The Dictator,” while Bernad executive produced “The White Lotus,” “Superstore,” “Uncharted” and “White House Plumbers.“
Since “Jury Duty’s” ending, audiences have embraced star...
The executive producers of the overnight hit mockumentary combined their talents for the improvised-scripted sitcom. Bernad and Schulman began with the idea to hone in on sitcom genre tropes and create a story about an isolated individual amongst a cast of actors as they served on a sequestered jury.
The two have had successful stints with unconventional comedy subgenres, most recently within the improvised-scripted sphere. Schulman worked with Sacha Baron Cohen on “Who Is America?” and Bernad teamed with Eric Andre on “Bad Trip.” Prior to “Jury Duty,” Schulman served as executive producer on “Borat,” “Bruno,” “The Lovebirds” and “The Dictator,” while Bernad executive produced “The White Lotus,” “Superstore,” “Uncharted” and “White House Plumbers.“
Since “Jury Duty’s” ending, audiences have embraced star...
- 5/5/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Years after she released her series “Dummy” on the now-defunct Quibi, Cody Heller decided to go into her next project without expectations. In doing so, she’s had her mind blown by the positive reaction she saw online as people received her latest work, “Jury Duty.”
Starring James Marsden, the documentary-style comedy takes one unsuspecting civilian and puts them through a series of pranks. The catch? He doesn’t know everything is fake. The entire case is fake — the judge, courtroom, bailiffs, and all of his peers are all paid actors and everything this team of “jurors” experienced is carefully orchestrated by Heller and her team of writers.
It’s a months long process from development and pre-production that sets the stage for the series, which would go on to become a success for Amazon’s free streaming platform, Freevee.
First, Heller needed a main character — an unwittingly honest protagonist...
Starring James Marsden, the documentary-style comedy takes one unsuspecting civilian and puts them through a series of pranks. The catch? He doesn’t know everything is fake. The entire case is fake — the judge, courtroom, bailiffs, and all of his peers are all paid actors and everything this team of “jurors” experienced is carefully orchestrated by Heller and her team of writers.
It’s a months long process from development and pre-production that sets the stage for the series, which would go on to become a success for Amazon’s free streaming platform, Freevee.
First, Heller needed a main character — an unwittingly honest protagonist...
- 4/26/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Ronald Gladden was chosen to be the surprise starring role in Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty after what he says was an “arduous” application process. It took so long and was so extensive that he considered dropping out at one point. But he was between jobs at the time and had nothing better to do. So he continued on. Over 2,500 people applied for the fake documentary. But, in the end, the slot went to Gladden. And if you ask almost anyone who’s seen the show, they’ll tell you he was the perfect choice. It’s hard to imagine anyone else navigating the wild hijinks that surrounded him. Gladden spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about his time on the show, including why he believes he was chosen for the experiment.
Jury Duty | Amazon Studios/YouTube Ronald Gladden used to be a different person
One of the reasons Gladden works...
Jury Duty | Amazon Studios/YouTube Ronald Gladden used to be a different person
One of the reasons Gladden works...
- 4/22/2023
- by Kelsey Goeres
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.