Unwitting ‘Jury Duty’ star Ronald Gladden signs overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios

Ray Richmond
·2 min read

Ronald Gladden, the unwitting star of this year’s surprise breakout docu-comedy hit “Jury Duty,” has signed a two-year overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios to produce, develop and star in a variety of content – a turn of events as implausible as his growing fame.

Gladden was the good-natured, game-for-anything young contractor who unknowingly answered a Craigslist ad looking for someone to participate in a documentary about jury service. He instead became the unwitting dupe in a situation comedy on which he was the only person who wasn’t an actor and wasn’t in on the ruse. Through the eight “Jury Duty” episodes, the audience followed Gladden’s selection onto the purported jury for a fake court case and his building incredulity at all of the weird situations and oddball characters surrounding him as the hoax trial moved forward. The show became a giant hit for Amazon Freevee and earned four Emmy Award nominations, including Best Comedy Series as well as a Best Supporting Actor nod for James Marsden.

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“Words cannot express how excited I am to officially be a part of the Amazon family,” Gladden said in a statement. “‘Jury Duty’ was a remarkable experience for me, and one that introduced me to so many creative and inspiring people. I’m now looking forward to utilizing those new relationships to develop projects for Amazon MGM Studios.”

Added Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD; unscripted and targeted programming, Amazon MGM Studios: “At the heart of ‘Jury Duty’ was a story about the power of human kindness, selflessness and empathy. Ronald exemplified this in his ability to genuinely connect with everyone around him, no matter their background, celebrity or idiosyncrasies. We’re excited to collaborate with Ronald and create more opportunities to bring joy, positivity and inspiration to Amazon customers.”

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