Jury Duty breakout star Ronald Gladden has signed a two-year overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. The deal will see Gladden produce, develop, and star in a variety of content for the company.
“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.”
Gladden’s rise to stardom stems from hit sitcom series
The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as Gladden was, for all intents and purposes, a regular person when he joined the cast of Jury Duty. The Oregon native was a solar contractor prior to appearing in the series, which starred him as a juror who was unaware that he was taking part in a fake trial on a fake jury panel.
Despite Gladden’s unfamiliarity with the acting world, he quickly became a massive fan-favorite on the series. Critical response to Jury Duty was overwhelmingly positive as well, with the series earning three nominations at the upcoming 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
“At the heart of Jury Duty was a story about the power of human kindness, selflessness and empathy,” added Amazon MGM Studios head of AVOD, unscripted and targeted programming Lauren Anderson. “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.”
