‘Jury Duty: Company Retreat’ Creatives on Building the Right Ensemble and Why Anthony’s Compassion Was the Perfect Fit

“Jury Duty” successfully pulled off its Season 1 conceit, where all but one person are hired actors. (Who can forget Ron Gladden?) But Season 2 provided new challenges for the show’s producers.

This time around, the show moves away from the courtroom, trying its luck with a “Company Retreat.” The concept is the same: Everyone is a hired actor, except one civilian, Anthony Norman, who is led to believe he’s been hired as a temp at the family-owned hit sauce company known as “Rockin’ Grandmas.”

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Casting director Susie Farris, who returned for “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat,” knew what she was looking for with her actors: “People who are really quick on their feet. We were looking for people who are smart, clever, funny and grounded.”

Ferris searched for improv actors who could act as if that had a history with Rockin’ Grandmas and could create believable working relationships.

In particular, it took time to find someone to play wannabe CEO Dougie Jr., son of the company CEO Doug Womack (Jerry Hauck). “He was tricky one to cast,” she says. “We were looking for a guy who was a bit of a stoner.”

Farris says she saw a lot of funny people, but it was Alex Bonifer who stood out. “He’s a genius with improv. He’s been a Groundling forever, and his in-person callback was hilarious,” she says.

But there was one problem. Bonifer, who starred in the comedy “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” walked that fine line of being slightly famous enough to be potentially recognized.

The actor ended up growing a beard and added some makeup, squashing most concerns that his cover might be blown. “Everybody felt like we could get away with it. And he was so deserving of the part,” Farris says.

Similarly, Stephanie Hodge (company accountant “Helen”) was someone Farris had on her radar. Farris had first seen a tape of the comedian over seven years ago, but Hodge didn’t get that job. When it came to “Company Retreat,” Ferris thought she would be perfect.

As with Season 1, Farris and the creatives held a focus group mixing actors with non-actors, and it was there that Hodge really stood out. “She has the ability to be so grounded and so believable,” says showrunner Nick Hatton. “But when the opportunity is there, she can snipe in with a joke and be hard funny. She has this big heart to her whilst playing a gruffness to it. She brings all sorts of different tones and shades, and is wonderful.”

When it came to casting the show’s non-acting (or even aware) hero character, Anthony Norman, Hatton says the process was very similar to Season 1. “There were thousands of tapes. You begin the Zoom interview process,” Hatton says. “We weren’t looking for people who were willing to work on a jury. It was people who were looking at a temporary gig.”

With Norman, his compassion, curiosity, kindness and decency of spirit appealed to Hatton. “He has, much like Ronald, a degree of self-possession, which, especially for someone of his age, is remarkable. That allows folks to approach him, and he engages with them in good faith and it allows us to pull this thing off.”

When the time came to reveal the truth to Norman, Hatton describes the moment as “very nerve-racking. It’s the culmination of everything. You hope that it goes well, and he receives it with the spirit that we intend.” Without the hero’s appreciation, Hatton says there would be no show.

Hatton’s highlight was when Norman revealed that “Helen” was his favorite.

Hatton says that moment is evidence of the sincere, authentic bonds and connections that Norman made with the cast. “That is ultimately the heart of the show,” says Hatton. “Seeing the response of the cast, and seeing how Anthony loved them, makes it all worthwhile.”