When the Tiger King docuseries hit Netflix last year it came at exactly the right moment. The pandemic had shut everything down, we were all stuck in our homes, and we needed to see people whose lives were worse than our own. In a perfect world we might never know the names Joe Exotic or Carole Baskin. But, we do know them. And we’ll be dealing with the impact of that doc for quite a while, starting with the upcoming NBC limited event series that has Kate McKinnon set to play Baskin, and now John Cameron Mitchell in the role of Joe Exotic.
Variety reports actor/director John Cameron Mitchell will play the colorful Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel, aka the Tiger King, in the Joe Exotic series that will document the crazy, murderous feud between rival keepers of big cats.
Mitchell is probably best known for directing such films as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Rabbit Hole, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties. He frequently steps in front of the camera as well, having recently wrapped up a stint on the Hulu series Shrill.
There were a number of actors openly campaigning to play Joe Exotic but Mitchell has a connection to the role that others don’t.
“I’m thrilled to take on the role of this modern folk antihero,” said Mitchell. “Joe and I are the same age and like him, I grew up queer in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, so I feel like I know a little bit about this guy and his desperate attempt to conquer an inhospitable world.”
Currently there is no release date for Joe Exotic but when it does arrive it’ll debut on NBC, Peacock, and USA simultaneously, so NBCUniversal are going all in on this one.
