Here's Why John Cameron Mitchell Can't Wait to Star as Joe Exotic In New Series

Entertainment

| LAST UPDATE 05/06/2021

By Molly Houghton
John Cameron Mitchell Tiger King
Walter McBride / Contributor via Getty Images

We learned back in April that John Cameron Mitchell will star alongside Kate McKinnon in the much-anticipated miniseries based on the Tiger King docu-drama. Lucky for us, the actor recently spilled the beans on his take on the exciting role.

Tiger King Mini Series
Instagram via @johncameronmitchell

You know it's going to be a small-screen success when Cameron Mitchell admits he made a special exception for the new show. "I haven't auditioned for something in 25 tears," the actor told E! News. "I thought, 'Here's a role that's worth auditioning for.' You know, this is a crazy enough role to sink my teeth into. So, I'm over the moon." As are we, John! The award-winning star then gave the inside scoop on why he thinks the upcoming miniseries will shed new light on the narrative that rocked the world.

"I love what they're going to be doing with the story," Cameron Mitchell said. "It's going to be much more deeply felt, heartfelt than the docuseries, which is more sensational." Don't worry - the show might tug on some of our heartstrings, but it's sure to also give us plenty of good laughs. How could it not when Kate McKinnon is set to play Carole Baskin?

Kate McKinnon Tiger King
Jeff Spicer / Stringer via Getty Images

And check this out - John shared that he's had the privilege of listening to unheard interviews from Joe Exotic's podcast. While Cameron Mitchell is certainly doing his research to get into character as best as possible, he revealed that there would be no direct contact with the Tiger King himself. "It's sort of better to stay away from the actual real people," the Shrill star explained. "There's too much fighting going on."

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Joe Exotic Tiger King
Instagram via @tigerkingpark

John might be staying away from the real Joe, but the actor previously admitted to "liking" the controversial figure. "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," he said. We can't wait to see Cameron Mitchell, McKinnon, and all of the other cool cats and kittens on our screens. Don't forget to stock up on Carole Baskin's Are You Kitten Me clothing line beforehand.