Ryan Reynolds Hugs It Out With "Jury Duty" Star Ronald Gladden in a New Ad

By Victoria Edel

Published on 5/9/2023 at 10:40 AM

Ronald Gladden's Hollywood journey is continuing. The solar contractor-turned-comedy star appears in a new ad with Ryan Reynolds for the actor's mobile brand, Mint Mobile. In the video posted to Reynolds's Instagram, the pair even hug.

"It's hard to believe in a time of crazy inflation Mint is still just $15 a month," Reynolds begins the ad. "Can you believe that, Ronald?"

Gladden walks into frame; his lower-third reads, "Ronald Gladden, All-Around Good Guy." "No, this doesn't seem real," Gladden says.

"Well it is," Reynolds counters. "Premium wireless, $15 a month. What's your problem?"

"Are there hidden cameras?" Gladden asks. Reynolds points him to the "massive" camera in front of them. "I have some major trust issues," Gladden admits. "I've been through some sh*t, man." Reynolds gives him a hug and tells him, "I've got you. You can trust me. I'm an actor."

In "Jury Duty," which became a breakout hit for Amazon Freevee this spring, Gladden thought it was a serious documentary about what being on a jury is actually like. Instead, it was a comedy improvised around him, "The Truman Show" meets "Parks & Recreation." Everyone around him was an actor pretending to be someone else — even the judge, who's actually Alan Barinholtz, father of comedian Ika Barinholtz. The only person who wasn't hiding their identity was James Marsden, who instead acted like a heightened version of himself, turning himself into a conceited jerk. But what made the show so special was that in the midst of absolute chaos, Gladden treated everyone around him with patience, respect, and affection.

Earlier this month, "Jury Duty" actor Cassandra Blair, who played Vanessa the juror, opened up to POPSUGAR about how hard it was to not start laughing where Gladden could see them. "We broke character every single day, multiple times a day. We just did it when [Ronald] wasn't looking. . . . It was hard," she explained. "There were times when the pressure was on, Ronald's there, he's right next to you, and something crazy happens, and you just have to eat that."

As for Gladden, it's unclear what the future holds for him, though he remains friends with his "Jury Duty" castmates — the real versions of them, that is.