In 2024, Anthony Norman was hired as a temporary employee at a mom-and-pop hot sauce company, Rockin’ Grandmas. He folded mailers, assisted in the warehouse and then helped to coordinate the company’s annual off-site retreat. Cheerful and capable, he was a shoo-in for Employee of the Month. Then again, he was the only employee.
Norman, 26, a Nashville native and the father of a young son, is the hero and the mark of “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat,” the new Amazon prank show from the creators of the 2023 show “Jury Duty.” Though he believed he was participating in a documentary about small businesses, he was actually shooting the eight episodes that began airing in March, and everyone around him was either a paid actor or a crew member. Though his colleagues’ antics sometimes puzzled Norman (particularly a moment in which a sourcing manager mistook a marital aid for a thermos), he kept doing his job until the final reveal. Spoilers for that episode and a wrap-up episode, which premiered on Friday, begin now.
In the finale, Norman stops the sale of Rockin’ Grandmas to a deceitful private equity firm. Breathless from running down a mountain, he addresses the Rockin’ Grandmas owner, Doug Womack Sr. (Jerry Hauck), “father to father,” begging him to put down his pen.
“It was so much more than we ever could have hoped for,” Anthony King, a writer on the series said. “He’s a true hero.”
Norman was more humble. “I was just doing my job,” he said on a recent video call. “Y’all paid me to show up and do my best and give my all, and that’s what I tried to do.”
Sweet-natured and self-effacing, Norman discussed his “Company Retreat” experience in two video calls, one just before the series premiered and the other before the finale aired — a personal performance review. These are edited excerpts from the conversations.
Before you applied to Rockin’ Grandmas, what was your work history?
I tried to find jobs or gigs that would fit with my schedule. I would bus tables. I was a valet. I’m from Nashville, so I would break down music venues and help put them up.
How did you find this job?
An ad online. They sent me an email, and I did a Zoom interview. Two weeks later I did another Zoom interview. A month and a half later they reached out and were like, “We want to select you.”
Did they find a way to ask if you had seen “Jury Duty?”
They asked what some of my interests are. They didn’t directly ask me, “Hey, what TV do you watch?” But I did share that yes, I watch TV, but I’m more into social media.
So you hadn’t seen much reality TV?
I grew up watching “Survivor.”
It’s almost like you were on “Survivor,” but you were the only person playing. What was your first impression of the office?
It seemed normal. Nothing really caught my attention. The first few days, I was packing little camping bags with bug spray, folding mailers, helping out in the warehouse.
And then you went to the retreat. Did you enjoy it?
Growing up as an athlete, I love that camaraderie and teamwork. It made me feel right at home.
Whom did you become close with?
Dougie Jr. [Played by Alex Bonifer, Dougie is the bungling son of Doug Sr.]. I felt that I needed to show up and be there for him, and that really brought us closer together. Definitely, to this day, that’s my brother.
Dougie does some questionable things, like adopting a Jamaican accent. Why were you always in his corner?
Just seeing a lot of myself in him, wanting to make my father proud. This might be sad, but feeling like I’m a mess-up and like I can’t get things right. Nobody wants to feel like somebody gave up on them. Hopefully Dougie Jr. could have become that C.E.O. we all wanted him to be.
Anthony, I don’t think anyone could watch this show and think, Oh, that guy’s a mess-up.
Please tell my parents that.
How did the finale feel when it was happening?
I knew Doug Sr. had a lot on the line. So I was very nervous, but I knew what the right thing to do was. And I knew I had to connect with him in some way for him to actually hear me. That’s what brought me to the father-to-father moment, like, Hey, I’m doing this because I want you to take care of your family.
What did the moment of triumph feel like?
Like I hit the game-winner. It was amazing, I felt proud of myself, happy that I stopped the deal and I saved these people’s jobs and careers.
Then the reveal happens. Was it hard to understand that this had been a setup?
At first I was definitely confused. There was sadness in understanding that they were paid actors and that the life that we had built was not real. But all in all, I was happy about it.
How did it feel to know that the people you thought were your friends had been lying to you?
I didn’t feel as if they were lying to me. I just reassured them, like, don’t feel bad for me, y’all have created an opportunity for me that I could never even have wished for or prayed for. So I’m grateful for it. I don’t have any hate or anger or any negative feelings. They paid me to come hang out with a bunch of comedic actors and have a good time.
What was it like when you finally saw the episodes?
It was unreal. I was laughing from the jump. I loved that they took my imperfections and used them in a way that was funny. It shows my heart. I never felt like the joke was on me, specifically.
How has it been having this out into the world? Are you recognized on the street?
When I went out to L.A. for the premiere, definitely. But in Nashville, I’m a homebody. I just spend a lot of time with my son. A couple of the parents on my son’s baseball team have recognized me, but nothing crazy.
Do you feel that what was done to you was ethical?
I don’t know if “ethical” is the word that I would use, but I wouldn’t say that it was not ethical. I don’t feel attacked. I don’t feel like they got one over on me. Me being the youngest of three siblings, I was the one, growing up, doing all the tricks and the pranks. So to be on the other end of it, it’s funny and hilarious to me.
Did you learn anything from your time on the show?
Going through what I was, looking for different jobs to fill my schedule, one thing this group of goofballs taught me is it’s not about the job. It’s about the people who are in the job that make you want to do the job as best as you can.
Alexis Soloski has written for The Times since 2006. As a culture reporter, she covers television, theater, movies, podcasts and new media.
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