Juror #8

Living… in New York during the 1950s. It's a booming, busy city, but also one full of rampant racism and poverty. When a boy from the slums is accused of killing his father, it's no surprise when the all-white jury initially votes "guilty" – all, that is, except Juror 8.

Profession… architect, and temporary juror. His skill for designing a building – imagining how the pieces of a building could fit together, and how having just one piece askew could send the whole structure tumbling to the ground – seems to help him see how poorly designed the prosecution’s case is. After all, isn't a lawyer essentially the architect of a case?

Interests… architecture, justice, and fairness. More so than his fellow jurors, Juror 8 is interested in making sure the case is resolved on the basis of reason and not strong emotions. 

Challenge… convincing his fellow jurors that the defendant is not guilty, or at least that there's reasonable doubt. If found guilty, the suspect will face the death penalty – a harsh fate for any man, but especially so for an 18-year-old boy. Juror 8 is convinced that the prosecution's been building a faulty case and that everything is not as it seems, but he's finding it hard to get the other jurors to listen.

Personality… passionate, intelligent, and deeply committed to justice. A brilliant logician and rhetorician, Juror 8 might have strong feelings about the case, but he always has rational justifications for his emotions toward the supposed facts of the case.