Tiger King: John Cameron Mitchell to play Joe Exotic opposite Kate McKinnon

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

When I think back to the early days of the pandemic, I can't help but remember binging on Netflix's Tiger King. Ah yes, as bad as things were in those early dark days, the misadventures of Joe Exotic and his crew kept me entertained, along with seemingly everyone else with a Netflix account with the show trending in the top 10 for months. It was so popular that not one but two limited series adaptations were announced within weeks, with Nicolas Cage famously having signed on to play the part for Amazon. 

Now comes news  (via Deadline) that the Kate McKinnon fronted limited series from Peacock, Joe Exotic, is set to star Hedwig and the Angry Inch star John Cameron Mitchell in the title role. Now, Mitchell may not be the household name Nicolas Cage is, but being a Hedwig fan I can tell you, he might actually be better casting. He both looks and sounds like Joe Exotic, and may be able to vanish into the part more effectively opposite Kate McKinnon as the similarly infamous Carole Baskin, who you may recall was his adversary. 

What do you think – are two Joe Exotic series overkill? Was The Tiger King just one of those weird pop culture phenom's that petered out quickly, or will folks be psyched to see a dramatized version of his life? Talk back below!