Amazon's Freevee has a hit on its hands with its new docu-comedy Jury Duty (2023-). Anchored by a hilarious performance from James Marsden playing a fictional version of himself, Jury Duty follows a cast of actors and one regular person as they are selected for—you guessed it—jury duty. The regular person is the only one out of the cast that's unaware that the case they are selected to deliberate on is in fact fake. The premise has led to some laugh-out-loud moments on the show, reminding viewers of mockumentary favorite The Office. And with good reason, since series creators Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were former writers for The Office.
Whether it qualifies as more a reality show or a genuine mockumentary is to be determined, but audiences everywhere have fallen head over heels for the show. And while James Marsden has been a recognizable Hollywood star for the past couple of decades, Jury Duty boasts a talented cast of newcomers (and one non-actor) as well. The sleeper hit series made a surprise splash at the 2023 Emmys as well, landing four nominations, including in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. Read on to find out more about the characters and cast of the Truman Show-esque series below.
Editor's Note: This article was updated on July 14.
James Marsden as James Marsden
In Jury Duty, James Marsden plays an exaggerated version of himself. Critics have claimed that his performance in the show is one of the finest of his career, and it has earned Marsden a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In the show, James is self-involved and narcissistic, and at one point calls the paparazzi on himself in an attempt to get out of jury duty. James gets under the skin of the majority of the jurors one way or the other, but ultimately learns a lot about himself, especially through his conversations with Ronald.
James Marsden has had several iconic roles throughout his career with starring turns in the '00s as Cyclops in the X-Men franchise and as Prince Edward in Enchanted. He had a prominent role on HBO's Westworld as Teddy the Cowboy, the in-park love interest of Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores. Recently, he wrapped up his role on Netflix's Dead to Me opposite Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate.
Ronald Gladden as Ronald Gladden
Cast as the only person who doesn't know the proceedings are all fake, project manager Ronald Gladden has endeared himself to audiences everywhere and in a way, become the internet's new golden boy. Gladden was under the impression that the film crew was filming a documentary on the judiciary process instead of a comedy. Casting thankfully hit the jackpot with Ronald, who throughout filming proved that he is one of the sweetest souls around. He was selected from 4,000 applicants for a Craiglist ad looking for people to participate in a documentary.
Alan Barinholtz as Judge Alan Rosen
The judge of the proceedings, Judge Alan is played by Alan Barinholtz. Father to established comedians Ike Barinholtz (Blockers, The Mindy Project) and Jon Barinholtz, it's clear that funny runs in the family. Before Jury Duty, Alan had a long, successful career as a lawyer, which informed his approach to playing Judge Alan.
Barinholtz has previously starred in Hulu's History of the World: Part II and The Oath alongside Tiffany Haddish and his son Ike.
Susan Berger as Barbara Goldstein
Barbara, a.k.a Juror #5, is one of the jurors who cannot seem to stay awake throughout the proceedings. With a little gentle prodding from both Ronald and Jeannie, she's able to make it through the "trial."
Susan Berger has had many credits to her name as a character actor including parts in films like Kajillionaire, but the majority of Berger's work has been on television. She's had guest roles in Criminal Minds, Hunters, Mythic Quest, Ray Donovan, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, among many, many other series.
Cassandra Blair as Vanessa Jenkins
As Juror #8, Vanessa Jenkins is a self-professed true crime aficionado who refers to herself as a member of the "Reddit Bureau of Investigations." This trial stuff is Vanessa's bread and butter. She's the lead conspiracy theorist of this ragtag group.
Known for her past television credits, Cassandra Blair has cut her teeth on shows like NCIS: Hawai’i, Side Hustle, Hacks, 9-1-1, Better Things, and The Rookie, among others.
Maria Russell as Inez De Leon
Juror #10 Inez De Leon has high ambitions, specifically, to become the foreperson. Playing the character in the show is Maria Russell, who is best known for appearing as Officer Gomez in David F. Sandberg's Lights Out. Russell has also been in a number of shows, ranging from comedy to drama, including appearing in two episodes of The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.
Ishmel Sahid as Lonnie Coleman
One of the most unproblematic jurors in this motley crew, Lonnie was selected as an alternate before he was selected as a full-fledged juror. That Girl Lay Lay star Ishmel Sahid, who plays Lonnie, has also appeared in Cousins for Life, Best Friends Whenever, Kingdom, Is There Anything Nick Lachey Can’t Do?, and Ladies Like Us.
David Brown as Todd Gregory
A socially awkward weirdo who takes a lot of getting used to, David Brown plays Todd with panache. Todd is passionate about cybernetics and his own inventions like the "chair pants" contraption he wears to court. Ronald takes Todd under his wing and tries to show his support for his passions by introducing him to Pixar's A Bugs Life.
Before Jury Duty, David Brown primarily starred in a variety of short films and indies, his biggest role to date being a role in the film The Year Between, which co-starred Succession's J. Smith-Cameron. He also makes up one-third of the Los Angeles-based sketch group The Shrimp Boys and is also a member of the comedy troupe Helltrap Nightmare, which includes SNL star, Sarah Sherman.
Kirk Fox as Pat McCurdy
As Juror #1, Pat McCurdy is just a regular dude who works as a driving instructor for the DMV. California native Kirk Fox has previously had a recurring role on FX's Reservation Dogs. He's also had roles in comedies like Physical, The Mick, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He's most easily recognized for starring as Britta's ex-boyfriend Blade in Community, as well as for his role as "Sewage Joe" in Parks and Recreation.
Ross Kimball as Ross Kubiak
Affable school teacher Ross Kubiak serves as Juror #12, and his friendly demeanor makes him narcissistic James Marsden's polar opposite. Ross Kimball, much like his fellow co-stars, has made several one-episode appearances in a variety of shows, including Superstore, and the Netflix comedy Love opposite Gillian Jacobs.
Pramode Kumar as Ravi Chattopadhyay
One of the sweetest jurors in the group, Ravi steals hearts as Juror #3. Pramode Kumar is likely best recognized for his role as Roger on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Kumar has also had small roles in films like Birds of Prey and shows like Shameless.
Mekki Leeper as Noah Price
Awkward, innocent Noah initially begins the show in a committed relationship, but once he catches wind that his girlfriend may have cheated via an Instagram post, he decides to pursue Jeannie. Mekki Leeper is not only an actor in the series, but he also serves as one of the writers and story editors. He also stars on HBO's Mindy Kaling-produced comedy The Sex Lives of College Girls as aspiring comedy writer Eric. Leeper also had a role in New Girl as a waiter.
Edy Modica as Jeannie Abruzzo
Brooklyn-based actress Edy Modica plays fun-loving juror Jeannie, who does absolutely nothing to hide her big fat crush on Noah. Before Jury Duty, Modica appeared in a variety of short films, including Made for Love, In The Flesh, and Nicole.
Brandon Loeser as Tim Smith
A surprisingly popular fan-favorite, Tim Smith gets off easy, getting injured and released from the trial. Although he has primarily worked as a stuntman, Brandon Loeser can be seen shows like The Rookie, Westworld, Superstore, and Silicon Valley.
Ron Song as Ken Hyun
Ken Hyun, a.k.a Juror #9, is a self-employed owner and manager of two gumball machines. Before his role as Ken on Jury Duty, you might have seen Ron Song in Netflix's From Scratch, or the miniseries Gaslit opposite Hollywood icon Julia Roberts.
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