12 Angry Jurors Character Backstory Guidelines

Questions to reflect upon and answer:

v Where did your character grow up? (ex: a wealthy background, a broken home, etc.)

v Was he/she an only child? Explain.

v Is your character married? Single? Divorced? Explain.

v Does your character have kids?

v How does the way your character handles discussion in the jury room reflect his/her personality?

v Can your opinion easily be manipulated? Are you timid and shy?

v Do you feel secure in the environment where the play takes place? Explain.

v Where does your character currently live?

v How old is your character?

v What does your character do for a living? (The play may already give the answer to some people)

v What is your character’s relationship with their spouse/child/parent(s)?

v Think of a scenario your character may have had to go through that caused them to become a better/worse person than they were before?

v Who/what does your character love?

v Has your character ever witnessed/dealt with death of any kind (a friend/family member, pet, etc.)

v How does the way your character has dealt with death reflect the way they handle the mission at hand in the jury room?

Physical traits to know/figure out:

v How does your character walk?

v Does your character have an accent?

v How does your character sit?

v How does your character look/act when anxious?

v Does your character have any nervous habits? (Ex: biting nails, fiddling fingers, playing with hair, etc.)

v Is your character more relaxed in their physical movement or more hyper?

Thank you for taking the time to do your research! 

Emily