The Burial is loosely based on the true story of Willie E. Gary, a personal injury lawyer, and Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, a funeral home owner, and the lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company. The 2023 Amazon legal drama film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 before being released on streaming on Amazon Prime Video and was met with overwhelming positive reviews. The project seemingly got Gary’s stamp of approval since he made a cameo in the movie.
The cast of The Burial includes Jamie Foxx as Willie E. Gary, Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe, Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes, Alan Ruck as Mike Allred, Mamoudou Athie as Hal Dockins, Pamela Reed as Annette O’Keefe, Bill Camp as Raymond Loewen, Amanda Warren as Gloria Gary, Dorian Missick as Reggie Douglas, Lance E. Nichols as James E. Graves Jr., and Billy Slaughter as Robert Sperry. Later on in the film, Gary himself makes an appearance, but not as himself.
Willie E. Gary Plays Dr. G In The Burial’s Mid-Credits Scene
Following The Burial‘s ending, the producers included a scene during the mid-credits that features a cameo from Willie E. Gary himself. The lawyer plays Dr. G, a fictional character whom Jamie Foxx’s Gary meets in a hallway following his victory in the courtroom. Gary won Jeremiah O’Keefe’s case against the Loewen funeral company, which resulted in O’Keefe being awarded $500 million in damages. Viewers should then stick around through the credits, seeing as the real-life Gary makes an appearance and acts opposite of Foxx in an exciting mid-credits scene. The two greet one another and shake hands, so Gary seemingly validated the existence of the film with this scene. Related: The Burial True Story: 10 Biggest Changes From Willie E. Gary’s 1995 Lawsuit
Willie E. Gary Has A Surprisingly Meta Cameo In The Burial
During the mid-credits scene, Dr. G, played by Willie E. Gary, and Willie E. Gary, played by Jamie Foxx, talked for a little while in the courtroom hallway and shook hands. The sequence included a nod to Gary (and was very meta) when Dr. G commented that he wanted to be like Gary when he grew up. Of course, this was a funny line because Jamie Foxx was portraying a thematic version of Gary, who was playing Dr. G in the scene. It sounds a bit confusing in retrospect, but it was a fun addition to the movie regardless. If the audience knew that the real-life Gary was portraying Dr. G in the mid-credits sequence, they were in on the joke. If not, it was a touching scene to cap off The Burial.
