Guess who just got an actual jury summons? America’s model juror, Ronald Gladden.
“Jury Duty” star Ronald Gladden shared a photo to his Instagram stories, revealing Friday afternoon that he’d received a real-life summons for jury service from the County of San Diego.
The buzzy Amazon Freevee series “Jury Duty,” — created by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, best known for their work on “The Office” — turned the 30-year-old San Diego-based solar contractor into the most beloved juror in America.
Gladden had responded to a Craigslist ad looking for participants for a documentary about the U.S. judicial system. Not realizing he was actually being baited to star in a first-of-its-kind “Truman Show”-style mockumentary. In the series, everyone, including the judge, the bailiff, the rest of the jury and James Marsden (who plays a satirical version of himself), is an actor.
Throughout filming, Gladden was completely in the dark about being duped in what he ultimately called “a moral obstacle course.” Viewers see Gladden unwittingly go through jury selection, get appointed the jury foreman for an absurd fake trial, and wholeheartedly attempt to wrangle the faux jurors and fairly try the case.
“The Notebook” and “Westworld” star James Marsden’s shtick throughout the series evolves, but in the beginning his goal is to be excused from jury duty, and he goes through several antics trying to make that happen. In one instance he tells the judge that he may be an “unwelcome distraction” because he’s a famous actor.
It seems only fitting that Gladden may get to use the same line this time around in San Diego.
Since “Jury Duty” dropped and Gladden stole the hearts of audiences everywhere, he’s appeared in a Ryan Reynolds Mint Mobile commercial and signed on with the Hollywood management firm Artists First. The show premiered April 7, and the finale is now available to stream.
