Ronald Gladden Admits It Was a 'Relief' When He Learned James Marsden Was Acting in 'Jury Duty'

When Ronald Gladden learned that he wasn't actually attending jury duty and was instead part of a scripted series alongside James Marsden and other actors, his life certainly changed overnight.

While on the series, which aired in April 2023, Gladden befriended Marsden, who acted like a jerk, so when he learned the actor was actually really nice, it was certainly mind-blowing. "It was a huge sigh of relief," Gladden, who partnered with Swash® Laundry Detergent to launch its bold new look and feel, as well as its latest ad campaign, titled “Laundry Court,” exclusively tells OK!. "I went three weeks thinking, 'This guy sucks.' But then I learned that's not really who he is!"

Gladden was cast after responding to a Craigslist advertisement asking people willing to be part of a jury pool for a civil trial in Southern California that would be covered by a TV crew — but what he didn't realize was that everyone around him was acting except for him.

"Outside of befriending James Marsden, which is a life goal, but these are wonderful people," he notes of the experience. "I'm not just talking about the people you saw as the viewer; I'm talking about the people who operated the cameras, the producers, everyone that was there. It was a fantastic ensemble."

"He really is a wonderful human being," he continues. "If you watch him on Jury Duty, that's not who he is in real life. He didn't necessarily teach me anything, but he helped reinforce the saying that I've been tossed since I was a child — don't judge a book by its cover. James has been one of my biggest supporters since day one, and I don't mean day one since the show was released, I mean the day after we finished filming. He's always been there for me. He has tips, tricks, advice, so I am constantly reaching out to him if I have any questions."

In the meantime, the TV personality is adjusting to this time in his life — but he's thrilled for anything that comes his way, including his partnership with Swash® Laundry Detergent to launch its bold new look and feel, as well as its latest ad campaign.

In the new ad, titled "Laundry Court," Gladden returns to the juror's box to a case that completely flips laundry day on its cap — something he can certainly relate to.

"I'm very excited to start this campaign with Swash® Laundry Detergent. The brand is disrupting the way laundry is normally done, so I'm very much looking forward to that. I love the fact there's a lot of simplicity in this," he notes. "It's easy to use. It's literally one squeeze takes care of everything you need — and who doesn't like to make their life easier? This just appealed to me in every sense."

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