What The Cast Of 12 Angry Men Is Doing Today
In 1954, Reginald Rose wrote a teleplay called "12 Angry Men" for the CBS anthology show "Studio One," based on his real-life experience of being a jury member on a manslaughter trial. The episode won Rose an Emmy, as well as one for director Franklin Schaffner and another for lead actor Robert Cummings. In 1957, Rose adapted the story for the big screen in the Academy Award-nominated Sidney Lumet film starring Henry Fonda. In 1997, Rose again adapted the tale for the Showtime network, updating the references and including a more diverse cast.
The 1997 version of "12 Angry Men" was directed by William Friedkin, known for acclaimed films like "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist." The talent behind the scenes was reinforced by a star-studded cast that earned the film multiple Emmy nominations, two official wins ... and one less official win. What, exactly, is an unofficial Emmy win? We'll be exploring that and other questions as we catch up with the 1997 cast of "12 Angry Men."
Courtney B. Vance (Juror 1)
Juror 1, the foreman, calls the votes and relays any information to the court outside of the hot room where the twelve men are stuck until they can come to an agreement on the verdict. Courtney B. Vance brings a sense of calmness and stability to the character, frequently mediating when arguments get heated.
Prior to "12 Angry Men," Vance had featured in films like "The Adventures of Huck Finn," "Dangerous Minds," and "The Preacher's Wife." He continued with roles in "Joyful Noise," "Terminator Genisys," and "Project Power," as well as recurring roles on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "ER," and "FlashForward." In 2016, Vance won an Emmy for his role as Johnnie Cochran in another courtroom drama, "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," and he won another in 2021 playing George Freeman in "Lovecraft Country." Most recently, Vance was seen portraying Aretha Franklin's father in Season 3 of "Genius" and the lawyer Franklin Roberts on AMC's "61st Street."
In addition to his successful career in front of the camera, Vance is the president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. He has been married to actress Angela Bassett since 1997, the same year "12 Angry Men" was released, and became parents to twins in 2006 (per Good Housekeeping).
Armin Mueller-Stahl (Juror 4)
The fourth juror considers all of the facts presented to him and processes them as logically as he can. Though he maintains his initial guilty vote for the majority of the film, he remains open to being proven wrong in his convictions. Armin Mueller-Stahl plays the character as reasonable, intellectual, and dignified.
Mueller-Stahl began his acting career in East Germany, landing the lead role on the 1973 spy show "Das unsichtbare Visier." He also starred in the Oscar-nominated 1975 film "Jacob the Liar," later appearing in the 1999 Robin Williams remake as well. After breaking into Hollywood, he soon earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1996 film "Shine," going on to write, direct, and star in his own film "Conversation with the Beast," in which he played an elderly man claiming to be Hitler.
After "12 Angry Men," Mueller-Stahl appeared in the 1998 feature film follow-up to "The X-Files," portrayed Joseph in the 1999 TV film "Jesus," played Israeli Prime Minister Efraim "Eli" Zahavy in four episodes of "The West Wing," and appeared as a Cardinal opposite Tom Hanks in "Angels & Demons." His most recent role was opposite Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett in the 2015 Terrence Malick film "Knight of Cups." In his 90s, the actor was the subject of the 2021 documentary "Armin Mueller-Stahl – Ein Gaukler in Hollywood."
Dorian Harewood (Juror 5)
When a member of the jury begins to base his guilty verdict on the fact that the accused lives in a slum, Juror 5 stands up and states that he's also from the slum. This passionate moment derails the faulty line of argument, as Juror 5's knowledge of knives puts even more doubt in the minds of his fellow jurors.
Dorian Harewood has had an extensive career portraying characters like Eightball in "Full Metal Jacket," Simon Haley in "Roots: The Next Generations," Jesse Owens in "The Jesse Owens Story," and the Reverend Morgan Hamilton on "7th Heaven." While his live-action roles have been numerous, Harewood has lent his voice to even more characters, including War Machine on the 1994 "Iron Man" cartoon, Martian Manhunter on 2007's "The Batman," and one of the villainous Monstars in 1996's "Space Jam."
Harewood continues to work both in front of the camera and in the recording booth. Most recently, he appeared in a pair of episodes as a judge on the 2022 Peacock series "Bel Air."
Tony Danza (Juror 7)
Juror 7 is more concerned with getting to a baseball game than debating about whether or not a man is innocent or guilty. When his constant jokes begin to annoy, he realizes he might need to take this a bit more seriously. With years of comedic performances under his belt, Tony Danza is the perfect choice to bring this character to life.
Danza began his career as a professional boxer and translated that into playing a fictional boxer on the hit 1978 sitcom "Taxi." The role earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1980. Danza followed that up with two more Golden Globe nominations for his role as Tony Micelli on the 1984 ABC sitcom "Who's the Boss?" More television roles followed, including an Emmy-nominated appearance on "The Practice," an appearance on the Netflix original "The Good Cop," and his own live daytime talk show "The Tony Danza Show." In one memorable episode, he was involved in a go-kart wreck that led to a concussion. His most recent television appearance was in a 2022 episode of "Blue Bloods."
While not as prolific in film, Tony Danza has still had plenty of memorable roles in movies like "Angels in the Outfield," "Crash," and "Don Jon." His latest film role was providing the voice for the monster wrestling coach Siggy in 2021's animated film "Rumble." Danza will next be seen in the Hulu original film "Darby Harper Wants You to Know."
Mykelti Williamson (Juror 10)
The tenth juror is frequently angry and never truly gives up his opinion that the man charged with murder is guilty. However, his reasons are based on racist beliefs and his harsh judgment of people who live in slums. Thanks to Mykelti Williamson's fascinating performance, the character riles up both the fictional jurors and the audience watching at home.
Williamson has featured in plenty of popular films like "Free Willy," "Heat," "Con Air," "The Purge: Election Year," and "Fences," but he's probably best well known for his turn as the shrimp-loving Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in 1994's "Forrest Gump." However, the famous character's distinct appearance almost cost the actor work. As he told USA Today, Williamson wore a lip prosthetic for the part and believed people thought it was real, leading to casting directors' hesitance to hire him.
This impression eventually faded as Williamson continued to pick up work, landing recurring roles on "CSI: New York," "24," "Lethal Weapon," and most recently "Law & Order: Organized Crime."
Edward James Olmos (Juror 11)
Juror 11 is a proud immigrant who vocally maintains that the jury process must be respected. When the jurors begin to doubt the American justice system, they're swayed by a speech passionately delivered by Edward James Olmos.
Before appearing in "12 Angry Men," Olmos was well-known for playing Lt. Martin Castillo for seven years on the hit NBC show "Miami Vice," for which he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He also made memorable appearances in films like "Blade Runner," "Stand and Deliver" (for which he earned an Oscar nomination), "American Me" (which Olmos also directed), and "Selena." Afterwards, he continued to appear in popular movies including "Blade Runner 2049," "Coco," and "A Dog's Way Home." On television, he landed the iconic role of Bill Adama on the 2003 reboot "Battlestar Galactica," as well as directing four episodes and the TV movie spinoff "The Plan." He also earned recurring roles on "Dexter" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and can currently be seen on the "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff "Mayans M.C."
In addition to his acting work, he is a strong supporter of Latino culture, having co-founded the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, the non-profit organization Empowering Latino Futures, and the production company Latino Public Broadcasting.
William Petersen (Juror 12)
The 12th juror is an easily distracted ad executive who spends a lot of time during the heated discussion doodling on his notepad and playing tic-tac-toe. William Petersen gives the character the perfect balance of airheaded obliviousness and legitimate concern about doing the right thing.
Early in his career, William Petersen was the first person to play Hannibal Lecter's foil, FBI Agent Will Graham, in the 1986 Michael Mann film "Manhunter." In 1990, he played Wild West lawman Pat Garrett in "Young Guns II." In 1996, he played a father trying to save his daughter from a killer in the tense thriller "Fear." However, his most notable role is likely crime scene investigator Gil Grissom on the hit CBS franchise "CSI."
Petersen played Grissom for the first nine seasons of "CSI," as well as in a guest appearance on "Without a Trace." He earned three Emmy nominations for his role as an executive producer on the show. Petersen left after the ninth season to pursue stage acting roles, but returned occasionally for guest appearances, including in the show's 2015 series finale "Immortality." The show was revived as "CSI: Vegas" in 2021 with Petersen reprising his role for the first season. Though Grissom will not be returning for the upcoming second season, Petersen still remains onboard as an executive producer.
Mary McDonnell (Judge Cynthia Nance)
"12 Angry Men" begins with Judge Cynthia Nance informing the jury of the importance of their duty, and that a young man's life is in their hands. Though the scene is brief, Mary McDonnell imbues the role with the dignity required.
Mary McDonnell found her breakout role playing the adoptive daughter of Sioux Native Americans in the 1990 Kevin Costner film "Dances with Wolves," which earned her an Oscar nomination. Two years later, she earned another Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a paralyzed soap opera actress in "Passion Fish." In addition, she featured in prominent films like "Sneakers," "Independence Day," "Donnie Darko," "Scream 4," and most recently the 2021 Netflix animated film "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf."
On television, McDonnell reunited with "12 Angry Men” co-star Edward James Olmos for the sci-fi classic "Battlestar Galactica" playing President Laura Roslin. In 2009, she landed a recurring role as Captain Sharon Raydor on the hit TNT show "The Closer," which eventually led to her character being spun off into "Major Crimes" for a seven-year run. Next up, McDonell will appear in Mike Flanagan's greatly anticipated Netflix horror series "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Tyrees Allen (The Guard)
After being informed of their duties by the judge, the twelve jurors are led by a guard to a small, hot room where they will conduct their business. The guard locks the door behind them as they begin to tally their votes. Though the guard does on occasion supply them with evidence to look over, the camera never shows his face while the jurors are still in heated discussion, only showing him in full again once their deliberations are over.
Tyrees Allen has played many small roles on countless television shows, including "Dallas," "Full House," "The Practice," "Kenan & Kel," and "Castle." While he might be most known for his role as Officer Starkweather in the 1987 classic "RoboCop," Allen has also had recurring roles on "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Alias," "Women's Murder Club," and "Dark Blue."
Though his most recent roles were as a CIA director in the 2013 penultimate episode of "Burn Notice" and a small role in a 2014 episode of the Eric Kripke-created "Revolution," Tyrees Allen will appear in an upcoming independent film entitled "The Intangible Truth of Chance Malloy."
Douglas Spain (The Accused)
"12 Angry Men" opens on a shot of a ceiling fan in a courtroom. A young man looks up at it, sweating. Is he sweating because of the heat? Or is he nervous about being condemned to death with a guilty verdict? Douglas Spain delivers no lines in his brief time on screen, leaving us with only the vaguest insight into a character the rest of the film will devote to deconstructing.
The same year that Douglas Spain appeared in "12 Angry Men," he starred as a young man who turns to sex work while trying to become a Hollywood actor in the film "Star Maps." The role earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in 1998. He went on to appear in the 1998 Ben Stiller film "Permanent Midnight," the 1999 cult classic "But I'm a Cheerleader," and 2006's "Walkout," directed by "12 Angry Men" co-star Edward James Olmos. On television, Spain landed recurring roles in the hit miniseries "Band of Brothers" and the Showtime drama "Resurrection Blvd."
Spain also stepped behind the camera as a producer on the 2013 crime film "Line of Duty" and the 2017 action-romance "Badsville." Spain's latest acting role was in the 2020 romantic comedy TV movie "Love on the Rise."
Ossie Davis (Juror 2)
The second juror is a banker whose opinion is easily swayed. When he makes a statement that gets questioned, he immediately backtracks in an effort to not appear to have chosen the wrong side. The wonderfully talented Ossie Davis portrays the character's evolution from confused uncertainty to confident action with a pitch perfect performance.
Frequently featured in Spike Lee films like "Do the Right Thing," "Jungle Fever," and "She Hate Me," Davis also appeared in everything from the hit Stephen King miniseries "The Stand" to the cult classic comedy "Bubba Ho-Tep," as well as writing and directing films like "Cotton Comes to Harlem" and "Cool Red." His last work was a recurring role as Melvin Porter on the Showtime series "The L Word" in 2005.
Alongside his wife, actress Ruby Dee, Davis was very active in the civil rights movement, joining the march where Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech (per Real Clear Politics) and delivering a eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral (via the Estate of Malcolm X). Davis and Dee had three children, including Grammy nominated blues singer Guy Davis. Ossie Davis died at the age of 87 on February 4, 2005, followed by Dee on June 11, 2014.
George C. Scott (Juror 3)
The final holdout for a not guilty verdict, the third juror is an angry man who hates to lose, and lets his own personal feelings about his relationship with his son interfere with his judgment. The role is brought to life with fire and an intense passion by screen icon George C. Scott.
Nominated for an Academy Award for 1959's "Anatomy of a Murder" and 1961's "The Hustler," Scott finally won one for his portrayal of General George S. Patton in 1970's "Patton." However, Scott refused the Oscar saying the Awards ceremony was "a two-hour meat parade" and was "offensive, barbarous and innately corrupt" (via The Los Angeles Times). Surprisingly, he did accept a Golden Globe for "Patton" as well as a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work in "12 Angry Men."
George C. Scott also appeared in loads of beloved classic films, including "Dr. Strangelove," "They Might Be Giants," and "The Hospital," as well as horror films like "Firestarter" and "The Exorcist III." In 1999, Scott re-teamed with his "12 Angry Men" co-star Jack Lemmon for his final performance in the television film "Inherit the Wind." Scott died at the age of 71 on September 22, 1999.
James Gandolfini (Juror 6)
The sixth juror is a house painter who mostly keeps his head down unless he has something he needs to say. But even when he's not talking, James Gandolfini provides a presence you can't ignore.
Gandolfini started his career appearing as tough guys in films like "True Romance" and "Get Shorty" before landing the iconic lead role of Tony Soprano on HBO's "The Sopranos." In the nine years Gandolfini played the character, he was nominated for six Emmys and won three of them. While continuing to appear in films like "In the Loop" and "Where the Wild Things Are," he also took more behind-the-scenes roles, producing the Emmy-nominated documentary "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq" and the Emmy-winning biopic "Hemingway & Gellhorn."
While visiting Rome on June 19th, 2013, Gandolfini died due to a heart attack at the age of 51. His final two films, the romantic comedy-drama "Enough Said" and crime film "The Drop," were both released after his death. In 2021, his son Michael Gandolfini carried on his father's legacy by portraying his most famous character Tony Soprano in the prequel film "The Many Saints of Newark."
Jack Lemmon (Davis, Juror 8)
In a role originally made famous by Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon plays the only man to initially vote not guilty, and one of only two characters whose names we learn. Davis is incredibly concerned with the possibility of sending a potentially innocent man to his death, and his persuasive arguments slowly begin to take hold in the other jurors.
Lemmon frequently collaborated with actor Walter Matthau in movies like "The Odd Couple" and "Grumpy Old Men," as well as with director Billy Wilder on films like "Some Like It Hot" and "The Apartment," both of which earned him Oscar nominations. In total, Lemmon was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two. Lemmon was also nominated for six Emmys and won two and a half. The two official wins were for a 1972 musical program and for Lemmon's final credited performance in the 2000 television film "Tuesdays with Morrie." Lemmon was also nominated for his role in "12 Angry Men," but lost to fellow nominee Ving Rhames. However, Rhames called Lemmon to the stage and gave Lemmon the award instead. After Rhames refused to take it back, Lemmon said, "This is one of the nicest, sweetest moments I have ever known in my life."
Jack Lemmon died on June 27th, 2001 at the age of 76, leaving behind a wealth of treasured performances and perhaps one of the greatest tombstones of all time (per AnOther Magazine), which simply reads, "Jack Lemmon in..."
Hume Cronyn (McCardle, Juror 9)
The ninth juror is an elderly gentleman named McCardle who very quickly comes around to Davis' way of thinking. Portrayed with genuine warmth by Hume Cronyn, McCardle is there to provide support when needed.
Hume Cronyn made his acting debut in the 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film "Shadow of a Doubt" and later appeared in Hitchcock's "Lifeboat" and two episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," as well as co-writing the films "Rope" and "Under Capricorn." Cronyn was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the 1944 film "The Seventh Cross," in which he co-starred with his wife Jessica Tandy. He also starred with Tandy in many other films, including "The World According to Garp," "Cocoon," and "Batteries Not Included." They even co-starred in NBC's "The Marriage," the first ever network sitcom to be broadcast in color (per MeTV).
Hume Cronyn's final performance was in the 2004 television film "A Separate Peace" featuring a young Aaron Ashmore and Alison Pill. Cronyn died on June 15, 2003, shortly before his 92nd birthday.