Actor, playwright, screenwriter and director John Cameron Mitchell has been selected to play Tiger King‘s Joe Exotic in an upcoming mini-series from NBC Universal.

The Hedwig and the Angry Inch co-writer and star will be the Joe Exotic to SNL favourite Kate McKinnon’s Carole Baskin in Joe Exotic. McKinnon’s role as Baskin was announced last year, and the star also serves as an executive producer.

“I’m thrilled to take on the role of this modern folk antihero,” Mitchell said of the news.

“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.”

Joe Exotic will draw its story from the Wondery podcast of the same name – rather than the smash-hit Netflix documentary Tiger King or Louis Theroux’s BBC documentary America’s Most Dangerous Pets which both took a deep dive into Exotic’s story.

“It’s clear that an over-the-top character like Joe needed someone very special,” NBC Universal’s EVP of Casting & Talent Development adds.

“We are so excited to have John Cameron Mitchell, an adored icon of the LGBTQ community, take on this compelling role. His casting speaks to our ongoing vision of universal storytelling, and we can’t wait for our audiences to experience the show.”

OIP Staff

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