To any sane person, the concept of Jury Duty: Company Retreat might seem impossible to achieve.
But against all odds, Emily Pendergast helped pull off this improv-filled anti-reality reality series about a hot sauce company on an annual retreat.
Her character, Amy, a Swiftie-loving sweetheart, is easily one of the best parts of this series.
To commit to a show like Jury Duty: Company Retreat requires dedication, and as a massive fan of Season 1, Pendergast was 100% on board.
With her background as a main company member at Groundlings, Pendergast is well-versed in improv.
From the moment she filmed her self-tape, she began building the bubbly personality of Amy, her character on the series.
“She feels like an eight-year-old trapped in a four-year-old’s body,” Pendergast said. “It’s just so pure.”
The green pen that Pendergast used in the show to block her face while she was breaking is perfectly indicative of Amy’s endless energy.
Another aspect that helped Pendergast understand Amy as a character was her getting bangs for the role.
While she may have been the one bringing Amy to life, she also got plenty of help from the writers, creators, and costume designers.
The costume designers supplied Pendergast with patterns and fun outfits, but importantly, also taught her how to make friendship bracelets.
These bracelets are so essential to Amy’s character that her skill during the talent show is making a friendship bracelet in under 60 seconds.
The friendship bracelets originated from the fact that Amy is a massive Swiftie, which led Pendergast to consult her niece and sister, who identify as Swifties, on 15 things she should know about Taylor Swift.
Unfortunately, some iconic Amy moments didn’t make it into the final cut.
Pendergast recounted a vision board seminar during which she spotted a Taylor Swift on a magazine.
“I sprinted for it and just wiped out,” she said, clarifying that she was fine–just eager to bring out Amy’s crafty side.
Creating Amy in itself was a wonderful experience for Pendergast, but she also loved working with all the other actors on the show.
One of Amy’s closest friends on Jury Duty: Company Retreat is Kate, played by Erica Hernandez.
Amy and Kate shared a wall, so Pendergast would send Hernandez emails and run over to make sure that she got them, which would crack both of them up.
Claire, played by Rachel Kaly, was another character that Pendergast loved interacting with.
When Kaly and Pendergast shared scenes, they often had a hard time keeping it together, so they had to warn each other in advance if any silly business was written to happen that day.
“It felt like a sleepover when you get in trouble, and everyone just gets the giggles,” Pendergast said.
Even after the show ended, she has remained close with the cast, calling them “family for life.”
Pendergast admitted that she has the cast’s character names saved alongside their real names, but she regularly keeps in touch.
She also checks in with Anthony, the “hero” of this season.
The show was meticulously organized, with backup plans galore, but it was perfectly set up to allow Anthony to shine.
“You just wanted to be around him all the time because he’s such a light,” Pendergast said.
For those who have watched the show, the most unforgettable moment happens on Jury Duty: Company Retreat Episode 7, when Anthony runs in to stop the sale of Rockin’ Grandma’s.
Anthony’s heroic action and moving speech brought Pendergast to tears (admittedly, I also teared up while watching that scene).
Even though Anthony was only meant to work with the company for a week, he truly immersed himself in Rockin’ Grandma’s world.
Pendergast recalled feeling emotional when she realized he was starting to refer to the company as “us” and “we.”
“It’s a reminder that there are very good people in this world, and he’s definitely one of them,” Pendergast said.
All eight episodes of Jury Duty: Corporate Retreat are available to stream on Prime Video.
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