Dax Shepard and Edward Norton Are Fighting Over Who Should Play Joe Exotic in a Movie

Philip Ellis

March 28, 2020 4:06 PM

The Netflix docuseries Tiger King has caused quite the stir since it dropped on the streaming platform a week ago, with viewers becoming fixated by the increasingly bizarre events and coming up with their own theories about what really happened. They've also started dream-casting a fictionalized version of the wild true story, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson being cited as two potential actors who have the range to play the titular Tiger King, zookeeper Joe Exotic .

Dax Shepard and Edward Norton Want Joe Exotic Role

But they're far from alone. On Thursday, comedian and actor Dax Shepard tweeted that he was perfect for the role, saying: "If I don't get cast as Joe Exotic in the eventual biopic, Hollywood is broken."

If I don't get cast as Joe Exotic in the eventual biopic, Hollywood is broken. dax shepard (@daxshepard)

However, another actor appears to have his sights set on the role too. "Um, step aside, pal. Youre way too young and buff and you know it," said Edward Norton in a reply to Shepard's tweet. "You could probably pull off Maldonado still, actually," he added, referring to Joe Exotic's teenaged second husband. "Wouldnt that be fun?"

Um, step aside, pal. Youre way too young and buff and you know it. You could probably pull off Maldonado still, actually. Wouldnt that be fun? Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton)

Norton certainly has form when it comes to playing eccentric (or even unhinged) characters, from the unnamed narrator in Fight Club to the FBI agent with unconventional methods, Will Graham, in Red Dragon.

This is a great first step. https://t.co/wcwuVNCcaZ dax shepard (@daxshepard)

It might interest both Shepard and Norton to know that a limited series based on the events of Tiger King is already in the works, with Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon attached to play animal sanctuary owner and potential husband-killer Carole Baskin . Anyone interested in auditioning for the role of Joe Exotic might want to brush up on their country music twang and start growing a mullet.

Philip Ellis