James Marsden Explains How NBC’s Parks And Rec Almost Ruined The Surprise Of Jury Duty

Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty may have slid slightly under the radar at first, given that the platform is brand new, but the word is out, and James Marsden’s new show is a breakout hit. This fan-favorite feel-good TV show features a staged trial where everyone involved, from the judge to the security to the jurors, are all improv actors, with the exception of one man: Ronald. Ronald is under the impression that every wacky event happening around him is a real-life occurrence, with the only actor he recognizes, James Marsden, playing himself. However, the cast and crew found out that one of the other actors ran the risk of of giving away the whole bit when Ronald revealed that he’s a huge fan of Parks and Recreation. 

I recently spoke with Marsden about the show, and asked about the difficulties of keeping Ronald in the dark during the whole staged trial. It turns out I didn’t know the half of it, as he was a comedy fan surrounded by comedic actors:

For you Parks and Recreation fans who are unsure of who Kirk Fox is by name, you may remember his character Joe from the show, affectionately referred to as “Sewage Joe.” Maybe the below screenshot will jog your memory. 

It makes sense that the producers of Jury Duty would be cautious once Ronald brought up Parks and Recreation, as the show is still very relevant in pop culture. Not only is it still finding a new audience a full eight years after it ended as one of the best shows currently streaming on Peacock, but just this year Amy Poehler appeared as her iconic character Leslie Knope on Saturday Night Live. The point is that suggesting Kirk Fox take a backseat during the proceedings was probably a good bet, despite how hilarious the actor is. 

This kind of overlap was bound to happen, given that Ronald is fairly in touch with what’s going on in pop-culture. He even recognized James Marsden, hilariously telling him that he heard Sonic The Hedgehog was “really bad,” despite the film’s rather positive critical response. We know that being a celebrity can be a decent excuse to get out of jury duty in real life, but in the show, the judge refuses to give Marsden special treatment. It’s a good thing he played himself, otherwise Ronald would have recognized him and the whole bit would be blown. 

You can watch Jury Duty via Amazon Freevee right now! Take it from me: the show is delightful and a truly impressive accomplishment. If you’re now inspired to re-watch Parks and Recreation to determine whether or not you’d have recognized Kirk Fox yourself, you can do so with a Peacock subscription.