Two adaptations of 12 Angry Men came 40 years apart and feature a diverse group of actors who put their spin on the famous jurors. Originally a teleplay written by Reginald Rose, 12 Angry Men follows a group of jurors that deliberate on the fate of an accused murderer facing the death penalty if given a unanimous guilty verdict. The teleplay has since been adapted numerous times in various formats and, despite its singular setting, 12 Angry Men has characters and dialogue that are sharply written and never lose the audience’s attention.

The information about their backgrounds is limited, but the 12 jurors bring their life experiences and viewpoints of society to the jury room, making for an intense back and forth. Though it’s unavoidable due to the name of the original material, the jury selection is only made up of men and excludes the perspectives of other gender identities. Still, the 1997 version of 12 Angry Men, directed by William Friedkin, is updated and includes a racially diverse group of jurors with actors like Courtney B. Vance and Mykelti Williamson. The 1997 script is nearly identical to the one from Sidney Lumet’s film, but the actors in each version approach their jurors in different ways, ensuring the characters are memorable.

12

Juror 12

Robert Webber (1957) & William Petersen (1997)

An advertising executive with a habit of sketching as a means to keep focused, Juror 12 is easily swayed by others and doesn’t provide his own conclusions. Juror 12 isn’t entirely invested in the outcome of the deliberation, playing a game of tic-tac-toe at one point with Juror 3. The difference between Robert Webber and William Petersen isn’t entirely noticeable, but in some scenes, Webber provides a timidness that Petersen does not and helps in establishing Juror 12’s tendency to follow others.

Aside from 12 Angry Men, Webber’s 40-year-long career consisted of multiple TV and film roles. He starred in films alongside iconic figures at the time, like Paul Newman in the mystery film Harper and Dean Martin in the spy comedy, The Silencers. Unlike Webber, Petersen’s most well-known role isn’t as Juror 12 but is Gil Grissom in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, for which he was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the ensemble cast.

11

Juror 11

George Voskovec (1957) & Edward James Olmos (1997)

Juror 11 is a watchmaker who takes thorough notes during the deliberation. He pulls up his notes and suggests the jurors go deeper beyond what was presented to them during the trial. George Voskovec and Edward James Olmos equally succeeded in showing Juror 11’s strong belief in the justice system and understanding the power the men hold in their verdict. During a powerful scene, Juror 11 lectures Juror 7 about voting with integrity rather than deciding the defendant’s fate because he wants to go home.

Voskovec was in numerous films, including the crime drama, The Boston Strangler, but his role as Juror 11 is by far his most well-known. Before his impassioned confrontation with Juror 7 in 12 Angry Men, Olmos played another character with an equivalent drive. In the film Stand and Deliver, Olmos portrayed a real-life mathematics teacher, Jaime Escalante, who was determined to lead his students to success.

10

Juror 10

Ed Begley (1957) & Mykelti Williamson (1997)

Labeled a “loudmouth” by another man, Juror 10 is stubborn and unwilling to change his guilty vote. Juror 11 is brash in his speech and his belief that the accused is guilty is rooted in hatred. One of the most impactful moments in each film is when Juror 11 snaps and goes on a prejudiced rant that causes the other jurors to get up from the table. Regardless of whether it’s Ed Begley’s performance or Mykelti Williamson’s, the tone and word choices from Juror 11 are upsetting.

The difference between the two isn’t because of their acting, but the way changes in each film’s script and cast allow race to push their argument forward. The “othering” Begley’s Juror 11 does is obvious, but with the diverse group of jurors in the 1997 version, Williamson’s Juror 11 has a moment where he’s speaking directly to the other Black jurors, hoping to win them over with an “us” against “them” argument. Williamson is known best as Bubba in Forrest Gump and Gabriel Maxson in the 2016 film adaptation of Fences. Following his career on Broadway, Begley had memorable film roles in Sweet Bird of Youth and Odds Against Tomorrow.

9

Juror 9

Joseph Sweeney (1957) & Hume Cronyn (1997)

The eldest of the group in the 1957 film, Juror 9 is the first to switch his vote and warmly invites Juror 8 to continue further examination into the trial’s evidence. Hume Cronyn’s Juror 9 doesn’t stand out the way Joseph Sweeney’s does as a few of the other jurors don’t look considerably younger. However, both actors are able to capture the power that comes when Juror 9 stands his ground against the others who, because of his age, discount his argument.

Cronyn’s first major film was Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt and, in the beginning of his career, Cronyn would continue to work with Hitchcock by acting in his films or working on screenplays. Unlike Cronyn, the film adaptation of 12 Angry Men was not the first time Sweeney acted as Juror 9. Sweeney starred in the original teleplay, Twelve Angry Men, taking on the same role and was accompanied by George Voskovec as Juror 11.

8

Juror 8

Henry Fonda (1957) & Jack Lemmon (1997)

From the first vote taken in deliberation, Juror 8 was the only one to vote “not guilty.” Ignoring the attempts of the jurors who remained sure of their votes, Juror 8 continued to question the evidence and, though he doesn’t entirely believe the accused boy is innocent, the slight possibility that he could be is enough to create a discussion among the jurors. Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon both have strong performances as Juror 8, but there’s confidence in Fonda’s dialogue that is missing from Lemmon’s version.

Lemmon’s speech sounds irritable at times, but Fonda’s makes Juror 8’s sense of justice more believable. This portrayal is in line with Fonda’s other work throughout his career, playing enough likable characters that his unimaginable casting as the villain in Once Upon a Time in the West was magnetic and worked well. He also starred in The Grapes of Wrath and Young Mr. Lincoln. Similarly, audiences were drawn to Lemmon’s everyman persona through films such as Some Like It Hot and Mister Roberts.

7

Juror 7

Jack Warden (1957) & Tony Danza (1997)

Jack Warden and Tony Danza have one of the more comparable portrayals of their shared character, Juror 7. He’s quippy in his speech, noticeably impatient, and unconcerned with the final verdict. Juror 7 is anxious to attend a baseball game later that evening and wants to reach a verdict as soon as possible. At one point, Juror 7 changed his vote to “not guilty” to speed up the process. This results in Juror 11 accusing him of not having guts or taking their decision seriously.

After 12 Angry Men, Warden portrayed Harry Rosenfeld in All the President’s Men and played Max Corkle in Heaven Can Wait, the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination. After his career as a professional boxer, Danza was in the 1994 film Angels in the Outfield and had a guest role in the TV show, The Practice. Later, Danza would host his talk show, The Tony Danza Show, which ran for two seasons.

6

Juror 6

Edward Binns (1957) & James Gandolfini (1997)

Juror 6 incorrectly recalls a few facts from the trial and is mostly unsure about where he stands. He doesn’t have as much dialogue as the other men, but Juror 6 has a significant moment when he defends Juror 9 after Juror 3 speaks to him harshly. Edward Binns and James Gandolfini comparably execute this scene and further carry out the working man background of Juror 6 in their remaining lines. Having painted an apartment near the train involved in the murder, Juror 6’s confirmation of the noise supports Juror 8’s argument of reasonable doubt.

Binns’ film and television career began after acting on Broadway and he was featured in several projects, including, Patton and The Verdict alongside his 12 Angry Men co-star, Jack Warden. Gandolfini is known for portraying a range of characters on-screen and on stage, but his most prominent role is Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. Tony Soprano remains one of the most beloved and talked about TV characters and for his performance as Tony, Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards.

5

Juror 5

Jack Klugman (1957) & Dorian Harewood (1997)

Juror 5 is one of the quieter jurors and the difference between Jack Klugman’s version and Dorian Harewood’s is minor. During the first round of voting in Lumet’s film, Juror 5 appears uneasy and asks to pass. Friedkin’s film sees Juror 5 do the same, but he appears uninterested rather than anxious. The camera work in Lumet’s 12 Angry Men focuses on Klugman’s tense facial expressions, signing to the audience Juror 5’s true feelings. This built-up tension bursts out when Juror 10 makes intolerant comments about the defendant’s neighborhood, revealing Juror 5 comes from the same place.

Regardless of the actor’s interpretation of Juror 5’s agitation, they both handled the character’s emotional snap well. Klugman is best known for his role as Oscar Madison in the Broadway and television adaptations of The Odd Couple, in addition to his appearances in The Twilight Zone. Harewood’s most notable role is as Jesse Owens in the biopic, The Jesse Owens Story. Harewood has also done a frequent amount of voice work in animated projects and his latest TV role was as Judge Robertson in Bel Air.

4

Juror 4

E. G. Marshall (1957) & Armin Mueller-Stahl (1997)

As one of the more rational jurors in terms of his tone of speech, Juror 4 is largely focused on facts. E. G. Marshall and Armin Mueller-Stahl match one another in their calm and collected delivery, retelling the order of events sequentially. Juror 4 is sure of his stance because, to him, the testimony from the trial is undeniable when taking it as is. He only begins to question the strength of a guilty verdict when Juror 9 notices a shared detail between Juror 4 and one of the witnesses.

Another legal drama project that Marshall appeared in before 12 Angry Men was the TV series, The Defenders. As the attorney Lawrence Preston, Marshall won two Emmys. A few years later, Marshall also hosted a radio program called CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Mueller-Stahl’s biggest role is in the 1996 film Shine, but he also had roles in the film The X-Files and the TV series The West Wing.

3

Juror 3

Lee J. Cobb (1957) & George C. Scott (1997)

Unwavering in his vote, Juror 3 is determined to change the minds of others and land a guilty verdict. Much like a few other jurors, Juror 3 relies on facts to support his opinion, but this slowly unravels as the deliberation continues. Juror 3 always had a sense of anger in his speech, but a vulnerable side was shown when the vote was 11-1 and he was left to defend himself from the others. Lee J. Cobb and George C. Scott’s performances, as well as the scripts of their respective films, allow for a large difference in 12 Angry Men‘s final moments.

Cobb’s emotional break into tears is impactful because of how sudden it is. After ripping up a photo of him and his estranged son, he breaks down into tears. However, Scott’s depiction of Juror 3 shows him tearing up from the minute his final rant begins. A bigger moment is made of Scott’s Juror 3 as the walls gradually peel during his defense against the other jurors, revealing to them the personal reason he wanted to send the defendant away.

Cobb played another role in the court, a lawyer named David Barrett in the TV series, The Young Lawyers. Cobb also had a minor role in an episode of Gunsmoke and acted in the television film, Death of a Salesman, as Willy Loman. Scott earned many awards and nominations for his work, including the films Patton, Dr. Strangelove, and the television film Jane Eyre.

2

Juror 2

John Fiedler (1957) & Ossie Davis (1997)

The jury’s discussion begins with Juror 2 unsure of the defendant’s innocence. The first vote he casts is as guilty and while his words appear certain, his tone of voice says otherwise. John Fiedler and Ossie Davis give two differing performances of Juror 2. Davis isn’t as intimidated by the others as Fiedler’s Juror 2 would suggest. At first, Juror 2 doesn’t budge when Juror 3 picks on him, and through his timid speech, he remains kind to the other men.

It makes sense why Fiedler was cast as Juror 2 and why his interaction with others differs greatly from Davis’. Fiedler’s career began by being typecast as quiet characters and he spent nearly 40 years voicing the friendly Winnie-the-Pooh character Piglet. Davis had an extensive film and television career and starred in multiple Spike Lee films, including Get on the Bus and Do The Right Thing.

1

Juror 1

Martin Balsam (1957) & Courtney B. Vance (1997)

Juror 1 acts as the jury foreman and keeps the rest of the men in order. Martin Balsam and Courtney B. Vance have similar approaches to their characters, but one scene in particular differentiates the two. When it’s pouring outside, Juror 1 tells a story to Juror 8 about a football game he coached that got stormed out. Vance’s Juror 1 gets more emotional when telling a story about one of his players. The emotion on Juror 1’s face as he’s reflecting on the young player’s promising career shows it likely played a part in his changed vote.

Balsam had a few memorable roles in major films in the 60s and 70s, including O.J. Berman in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Husband Kimmel in Tora! Tora! Tora!. He also portrayed Howard Simons in All the President’s Men alongside his 12 Angry Men co-star Jack Warden. Vance continued playing characters in legal films and TV shows, such as A.D.A Ron Carver in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.