James Marsden On His ‘Jury Duty’ Role of a Lifetime and the Day He ‘Lost It’ Laughing

variety.com:

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor Though his long career has been full of box office hits, critically acclaimed projects and some truly scene-stealing performan­ces, James Marsden landed the role of a lifetime on the Amazon Freevee series “Jury Duty” playing … James Marsden.

It is, however, an exaggerated (we hope) version of himself, due to the premise of the show — that everyone taking part in a fake trial is an actor in on the joke except for “star” Ronald Gladden.

Marsden shines as a self-centered actor convinced that he deserves special treatment (“I’m a recognizable public figure,” he tells the judge) while simultaneously bemoaning his fame isn’t remarkable enough.

In one tantrum, he screams, “Let’s all feel sorry for the guy from ‘The Notebook,’ who’s not even the guy from ‘The Notebook!’” It’s a tricky balance — and add to it the fact that Marsden is improvising without scripted lines and finding himself in situations he has no way of predicting.