With one crucial twist, “Jury Duty” by Amazon Freevee explores a court case in-depth from the perspective of juror Ronald Gladden.
Gladden is unaware that every aspect of the absurd courtroom drama in the eight-part series is a lie, even down to James Marsden of “Westworld” posing as an alternate juror and a comically self-absorbed version of himself.
In “Jury Duty,” everyone but Ronald is an improv actor (the first four episodes are available for streaming online, followed by new episodes every Friday). This includes Marsden, the other 11 jurors, the judge, the bailiff, and the 12 phoney witnesses providing fraudulent testimony.
The series, which was shot in a real courtroom and was intended to fool Gladden into thinking he was a jury in the strangest case, is a farce, according to Marsden.
According to executive producer Cody Heller, who acknowledges having some reservations while filming, setting up the 17-day ruse was amusing and lawful.
Our biggest joke was that we would be put on trial for trying to make this show in the upcoming season of “Jury Duty,” according to Heller. It was undoubtedly the craziest thing I’ve ever undertaken.
Here is how the courtroom chaos unfolded:
A fictional case is presented in a genuine courtroom in “Jury Duty.”
Heller realised early on that staging a criminal trial would have been against the law. In “Jury Duty,” a fictitious plaintiff and defendant are involved in a legal case involving a workplace quarrel.
Gladden, a 30-year-old project manager for Home Depot from San Diego, was one of 4,000 people who responded to a Craigslist advertisement searching for people from Southern California to serve on a jury and participate in a courtroom documentary (hence the camera crew) for payment.
A 16-mile drive southeast of Los Angeles, the proceedings were held in the abandoned Huntington Park Superior Court, which was most recently a neighbourhood Halloween haunted house.
“Electricity was nonexistent. There were only phoney zombies and spider webs “explains Heller. “Our team entered to completely renovate the space. It resumed its role as a courthouse in a few of weeks.”
James Marsden portrayed the narcissistic Hollywood star James Marsden.
A Hollywood star compelled to serve on a jury, Marsden portrayed an exaggerated version of himself who constantly tried to be removed from the case. Even worse, he arranges for paparazzi to enter the court.
Marsden says, “I had to do this dance that I’m so narcissistic.” “I have a major movie coming out, and my celebrity will be a distraction,” it sounds like.
Gladden, though, knew Marsden only dimly and knew very little about his work.
Throughout the course of 17 days, Marsden and the other participants were unable to reveal the secret during any interaction with Gladden. According to Marsden, “That was a full high-wire act.” “If someone made a mistake, used the incorrect person’s name, or was at the incorrect location. There it was. The thrill originated from that.”
