"Third Chapter": Alan Barinholtz Goes From Courtroom Lawyer to TV Judge

Being in your 70s used to mean retirement, Social Security, lawn chairs and shuffleboard. Not so much anymore — and definitely not for Alan Barinholtz.  At 72, Alan is suddenly a rising star, playing Judge Alan Rosen in the popular Amazon Freevee show Jury Duty.

And he has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

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Indeed, with the success of Jury Duty and subsequent roles, Alan says he is just getting started on what he calls the “third chapter” of his life.

As funny and personable in the real world as he is on the screen, Alan explained in a recent conversation with me his philosophy on getting older, fulfilling dreams and living life to the fullest.   

For Alan, chapter one was growing up and going to school. Chapter two included getting married, helping raise a family and working as a successful lawyer while living vicariously through his two sons, Ike and Jon, both established TV and screen actors.

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Now in chapter three, Alan has come full circle back to his dream of being an actor.

After watching him portray Judge Rosen, it is hard to believe he hasn’t been acting all his life. He is a natural in the part, for which he is now getting recognized. In his words. “I’m kind of well known. It’s a little bit scary.”

But from the sound of his enthusiasm, he’s loving it.

Chapter three started in the fall of 2021. Alan learned that a new show was looking to cast a retired attorney or judge with an improv background. Who better could fit that description?

After graduating college, Alan moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actor. In order to pay his bills, he sold radio time and worked as a stand-up comic. At age 25, he enrolled in Loyola Law School. He was hooked by the dean’s welcoming speech, he said, For the past 42 years he has worked as a personal injury litigation attorney.

But with the encouragement of his sons, Alan shot a one-minute audition tape, portraying a fictional judge and talking off the top of his head. Both sons told their father that he was really good. The casting director agreed, and Alan became a contender for the part.  

Three weeks later, he got the formal offer, which he mulled over with his family. A few “not so minor” obstacles stood in the way. He would have to move from Chicago to Los Angeles, join the SAG union and get a car.  

In addition, he was informed, “The pay ain’t great. But you won’t lose money.”  He says his sons told him, “‘Pop, even if you lose money, you’d be nuts not to do this.”