Ronald Gladden became a star with his television debut in Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty. The reality hoax sitcom created by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky premiered on April 7 and aired for eight episodes that concluded on April 21, 2023. It stars an ensemble cast as jury in a fake civil trial, with Gladden as the only juror unaware that everything happening was scripted until the final episode.
Released to rave reviews with nominations for coveted awards, including three Primetime Emmys and two Golden Globes, Jury Duty introduced Ronald Gladden to the American television audience, lunging him into the limelight for a career in show business. While the interesting premise of the series resonated with critics, Gladden’s charming personality endeared him to viewers, who are now eager to see him in more projects. Here’s what to know about his life before and after Jury Duty.
Unmasking Ronald Gladden’s Life Before Fame
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The Jury Duty star was born in October 1992 into a modest family in Wallowa, a small mountain town in Oregon. Unverified reports claim he’s one of at least three children born to Kimberly and Jerry Gladden — that Ronald has a sister, Felycia McKenzie, and a brother named Justin Gladden. He was raised alongside his siblings in Wallowa, where he completed high school. He reportedly pursued a degree in construction engineering but dropped out due to financial challenges.
Years before he found fame, the Wallowa native moved to San Diego, California, where he worked as a solar panel installer and contractor. Ronald Gladden also worked as a Home Depot project manager before his unexpected breakout as a TV star. In a YouTube interview with iHeartRadio, Gladden admits he never aspired to a career in entertainment. “It was a complete shock to everybody,” he said. “I never had aspirations to be on TV. I was never the kid who was, like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be a famous actor,’ or something like that. So it was totally out of left field.”
How He Landed The TV Role That Made Him Famous
Ronald Gladden was one of 4000 people who responded to a Craigslist ad looking for someone to serve on a jury for a civil trial in Southern California. He was craving to do something different when he volunteered for the position, believing he would be part of a documentary that examines the judicial process to showcase what happens in the deliberation room. “I was a solar contractor in San Diego before I signed up for this,” Gladden told Amazon News. “I was really just looking for a new experience,” he explained.
Unknown to Gladden, he was at the center of a mockumentary with comedic actors improvising the unfolding events. Of the thousands who responded to the Craigslist ad, Ronald Gladden was selected partly because he’s good-natured. The show’s executive producer Nicholas Hatton alluded to this while speaking with the San Diego Union Tribune. “It was vital to find someone we sensed the audience could root for and would also provide the heart and moral compass of the show,” he said. “We hoped…he would showcase all the ways that a person’s kindness and decency can make the world a slightly better place,” added Hatton.
What Has Ronald Gladden Been Up To Since Jury Duty?
Ronald Gladden has been prepping for a showbiz career since his time on the Freevee mockumentary. He told Variety in early May 2023 that he wants to capitalize on his newfound fame and remain a part of the entertainment industry. “I would love to be on something else. I am not opposed to staying in this world.” Later that month, Deadline reported that he signed with Artists First to guide the next chapter of his career in the industry.
Apart from media appearances and a Mint Mobile ad with Ryan Reynold, the Jury Duty star has yet to feature in any production. However, he made a two-year pact with “Amazon MGM Studios to produce, develop, and star in a variety of content,” per Amazon News. Ronald Gladden is also open to pursuing an acting career in the future. He told iHeartRadio he’s not actively thinking about acting but wouldn’t rule it out. “I’m not trained, I’ve never taken acting classes,” he said, “…maybe down the road we’ll see, but as of right now, it’s not really (in the) forefront of my mind.” Meanwhile, also check out The Office mockumentary spinoff coming to Peacock.
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