Who is Anthony Norman? What we know about Jury Duty’s ‘new Ronald’ before Company Retreat
Anthony Norman is the only real person in Jury Duty
Jury Duty managed to fool Ronald Gladden, but will Company Retreat pull it off with Anthony Norman? As the show nears its premiere, here’s what we know about the show’s new star.
The first season had an audacious premise. Ronald showed up for jury duty… but everyone and everything, except him, was fake. He was surrounded by actors (including James Marsden, playing himself), the case was made-up, and the whole thing was basically a showcase for Ronald being a good person.
It’s one of the best Prime Video shows ever. However, the near-instant demand for season 2 raised a huge question: how do you do it again? Would they be able to trick another person, and would they be as charming and gracious as Ronald?
Well, the jury’s still out, but it looks like they’ve struck gold again with Anthony Norman.
Who is Anthony Norman?
Anthony Norman is a 25-year-old temp from Nashville, Tennessee, “born and raised”.
In his interview to work at Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce (a completely made-up company), he says he always “gives it [his] 100%”.
Beyond that, there’s little else we actually know about him. He has an Instagram account, but there isn’t anything on there apart from four posts about Jury Duty. “The only real Rockin’ Grandma’s employee,” his bio reads.
He’s not on LinkedIn (as far as we’ve seen), nor does he appear to have any other social media presence.
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However, from the outset, he does appear to be a little more savvy than Ronald. “I feel like I’m in a TV show,” he says in one line from the trailer, but then he adds: “But this is not something you can just make up.”
Why was Anthony Norman chosen for season 2?
The people behind Jury Duty haven’t revealed exactly how they found Anthony Norman and cast him in Company Retreat.
After all, it wouldn’t have been a traditional audition process, and they would have had to be especially sneaky… and careful. If Anthony freaked out or became a volatile presence, it could have become a massive problem.
“For how we found him — that’s part of the secret sauce required to make the show! But safe to say there were thousands of candidates and we’re so happy we landed the right one,” producer Nick Hatton told People.
“Anthony’s charisma and kindness stood out immediately.
“It was a big ask this season. We needed a hero who would not just integrate with a bunch of strangers but more importantly become the protagonist in their stories. Someone who was empathetic, self-possessed and represented how we all hope we would behave when dropped into this season’s situation.”
In another interview with Darektor’s Cut, executive producers Todd Schulman and Anthony King were asked how they knew Anthony “was the guy”.
“We cast from a very large net of people… from the moment we laid eyes on him, in every interview we did with him along the way, he just exuded this warmth and ability to connect with people and also a real sense of self,” Schulman said.
What happens in Jury Duty season 2?
Anthony believes he’s been hired by Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce, a company based in California. He’s brought in as a temp to help its HR boss organise the company’s retreat to Oak Canyon Ranch. But, as you’d expect, things don’t go to plan.
He meets the likes of Doug (Jerry Hauck), the sauce maker’s CEO, and his son, Dougie Jr (Alex Bonifer), who’s set to take over the company.
David Bernad, another executive producer on the series, explained to EW that they “needed a setting and a container that naturally brings a group of people together”.
“It felt like a natural place where someone would be separated from their phone and he’d be immersed in the world and pulled away from his everyday life. We knew if we did a company retreat that was out of the city we’d get that similar setup. It’s just so ripe for satire. Most people have worked in some sort of corporate setting,” he said.
When is Jury Duty: Company Retreat out?
Jury Duty: Company Retreat premieres on Prime Video on Friday, March 20.
The first three episodes will be available to stream, with the rest of the series dropping in weekly batches – you can check out season 2’s full release schedule here.
Read more: How to watch Jury Duty: Company Retreat – is it still free?
