Tiger King's Saff Wants to Be Played By the Johnny Tsunami Actor in Eventual Biopic

Since its debut in March, Netflix's true crime docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness [...]

By Nicole Drum

Since its debut in March, Netflix's true crime docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has been a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, spawning countless memes, speculation about what really happened to Carole Baskin's husband, and even fan debate over who should be cast as various figures for the inevitable television and movie adaptations of Joe Exotic's wild story. While much of the discussion centers around who should play Exotic, Kelci "Saff" Saffery, former animal keeper at Exotic's zoo knows exactly who should play him thanks to one specific actor having a close physical resemblance.

In the new episode of Tiger King, "The Tiger King and I" hosted by Joel McHale, Saff revealed that he thinks the star of Johnny Tsunami would be a great choice to play him.

"I still go back to the kid who played Johnny Tsunami just because of looks," Saffery said. "I mean, he looks just like me, so."

Saffery is referring to Brandon Baker. Baker starred as Johnny Kapahala, a surfer boy whose life is turned upside down when he is forced to move to Vermont when his father gets a sudden job transfer. Baker played the role in the 1999 Disney Channel Original movie Johnny Tsunami and its 2007 sequel, Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board.

While there's no arguing that Baker does have a close resemblance to Saffery, McHale had another suggestion, albeit one that would require a bit of makeup and movie magic: Ken Jeong.

"That would be so amazing," Saff said.

When it comes to an adaptation of the Tiger King story, there is already one in the works. Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon is set to play Carole Baskin, the CEO of Big Cat Rescue who, as fans of Tiger King know, just so happens to be Exotic's nemesis, in a limited series adaptation of a podcast based on Exotic's story. The series will center on Baskin's feud with Exotic. At this time, there has been no announced casting for Exotic, though Exotic himself reportedly thinks Joe Dirt star David Spade would be a great choice.

You can check out Netflix's official synopsis for Tiger King below.

"Among the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger-than-fiction world of big cat owners, few stand out more than Joe Exotic, a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country western singer who presides over an Oklahoma roadside zoo. Charismatic but misguided, Joe and an unbelievable cast of characters including drug kingpins, conmen, and cult leaders all share a passion for big cats, and the status and attention their dangerous menageries garner. But things take a dark turn when Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of a big cat sanctuary, threatens to put them out of business, stoking a rivalry that eventually leads to Joe's arrest for a murder-for-hire plot, and reveals a twisted tale where the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner."

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is now streaming on Netflix.

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