Kirkham doesn't play a prominent role in Tiger King, but he doesappear to beone of the docuseries' voices of reason. He got a degree in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1981, according to Kirkhams LinkedIn profile. But he soon began to use crack cocaine. John Finlay. But he is not available on Twitter and Instagram. he worked for the news magazine Inside Edition for many years. Before he became addicted to drugs, Kirkham was a dancer on Dick Clarks American Bandstand. [4][5] In March 2015, a suspected arson fire destroyed the studio at the G.W. after that, he decided to make his career in the field of cinematography. We found the men who really sang songs like "I Saw a Tiger" and "Here Kitty Kitty.". Rick is active on Facebook with around 3K following. His attorney did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. To focus only on his style, however, is to neglect the other gems. He proposed to her back in September 2017, and the two got married in 2018. Read:CNET's interview with Joel McHale where he discusses Community and Tiger King. He is currently living in Bodo, Norway, where he works as a freelance reporter for RealReels. He has one sibling and is very close to his brother. He also briefly worked for KFBB-TV in Montana as a news director before meeting Maldonado-Passage. 2023 E! Since appearing on Tiger King, Rick has enjoyed public attention as well. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He is well-known in the country for his Netflix show named Tiger King. Spice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. Zoo and had a nervous breakdown, he claims in the docuseries. ", On June 2, 2020, Discovery ID channel released a one-hour show called "The Truth Behind Joe Exotic: The Rick Kirkham Story", where he discussed his life, two marriages and move to Norway. Six months after Kirkhams house was set on fire, Joe Exotics studio was set on fire. Kirkham was working on his own reality TV show about Exotic that never came to fruition after a suspicious blaze destroyed the footage a fire Kirkham believes was set by Exotic. Rick Kirkham: Age, Parent, Siblings, Ethnicity. And, at the age of 16, he made his television debut as a dancer on Dick Clarks American Bandstand. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He told Joel McHale, the host of Tiger King and I, that the local paper put his picture on the front page and that even a walk results in Tiger King comments. After completing her schooling from American Broadcasting School, he enrolled his name at the University of Central Oklahoma for his graduation. While covering that beat, he often accompanied the police to make drug busts. In that same interview, Kirkham shared that Maldonado-Passage was a very evil guy to the animals and the people that worked for him. Come on, you're gonna love this Rick,'he walked up, pulled a gun out of his holster and shot the horse dead in the trailer and then cut it up with a chainsaw and then fed it to the tigers that day.". The basic facts of Tiger King are a matter of record. Naturally, with the public attention he has gained, we can expect more interviews, talk shows, or even podcasts, which are interested in knowing Ricks opinion on Joe Exotic. Not to mention, he appeared on Oprah Winfreys show in 2007 and discussed his drug addiction. They are Rick Jr. or Ricky and Dustin or Dusty. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. According toKirkhams Facebook profile, he is currently living in Bodo, Norway, where he works as a freelance reporter for RealReels. Later, he started working for Inside Edition,where he became known for his willingness to participate in wild stunts like setting himself on fire (as seen inTiger King). And Kirkham noted that Joe's rival Carole Baskin, big-cat trainer Doc Antle, and of course the imprisoned Joe himself didn't participate in Sunday's episode. In this show, he shared the video clips of his 3000 hours videography. Though he's stepped out of the spotlight since, viewers met Finlay, Exotic's now ex-husband, in the original Tiger King. Rick Kirkham is on Facebook. He had worked briefly for KFBB-TV in Montana as a news director in 2013, prior to the Joe Exotic fiasco. Tami, his wife at that time, could not stand Ricks addiction to the news and drugs. Therefore, ick Kirkham's net worth, as of 2020, has been estimated to be close to $3 million. Also: Kirkham says he's writing a memoir, and half of it will be about his time with Joe. However, Exotic, whose legal name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, wouldn't become a reality star: Instead, he is currently, for attempting to hire a hitman to kill Baskin, an animal rights activist who is another controversial figure in the big cat world. Rick Kirkham was one of the more sympathetic figures in Netflix hitTiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Zookeeper Erik Cowie has died since filming the first season of "Tiger King." (Netflix ) Erik Cowie, one of Maldonado-Passage's employees at the zoo, has passed away since filming the . While he has already appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2007, long before Tiger King, Kirkham has taken the opportunity to improve his public profile after Netflixs docuseries went viral. Kirkham worked on A Reason to Live and The Frozen Theater (2008). Kirkham wrote so many motivational quotes also. Eventually, Kirkham achieved sobriety and released the 2006 documentary TV Junkie, a compilation of self-filmed footage during his drug use. He is also a producer and writer and has a great income from his movies and documentaries. Joe Exotic, the eponymous mullet-modelling big-cat fancier, went to prison having been found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill his animal . Your email address will not be published. He even interviewed then-President George H.W. Inside Joe Exotic's Wild Homemade Music Videos. Zoo fire. We may earn a commission through links on our site. In an exhaustive look at Kirkhams past, Oxygen uncovered quite a few gems that didnt make it into the Tiger King docuseries. His other information regarding his parents and siblings is unknown. After some time, he made a documentary series on Netflix titled Tiger King. After the success of Tiger King, Kirkham was interviewed about his time at the G.W. As a result, not only was he fired by Inside Edition, but Kirkhams wife, Tammie, was also fired with their son. All rights reserved. Rick Kirkham, who once served as producer of Joe Exotic's reality series before his footage was lost in a fire, has a lot of thoughts about Tiger King and his time at Exotic's big cat park.He . Kirkham claimed to have "never experienced anything like Joe Exotic" and denied involvement in the 2015 G.W. Bush while high, he recounted to Oprah Winfrey, The, Following the release of his documentary, Kirkham. He was only 14 years old when he began filming his daily life in minute detail for 3000 hours. The popular writer came to this world from his parents on Friday, May 16, 1958, in the United States. Naturally, this included imagery of Exotic sitting on a throne in the middle of a tiger cage, as shown in the docuseries. ", More:Tiger King Is One Of Netflix's Most-Viewed Original Shows Ever. Upon hearing about the fire, Kirkham dropped to his knees and cried, and left the zoo not long afterwards. He is well-known for his signature look of wearing a dark cowboy hat. Later, Kirkham started working forInside Edition,where he became known for his willingness to participate in wild stunts like setting himself on fire (as seen inTiger King). 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." Joe Exotic was everything I had dreamed of in finding a reality show, the project's producer Rick Kirkham said in the Netflix docuseries. The story, according to Kirkham, goes like this:"Before she got off the parkhe said, 'Rick, roll your camera. He hugged her and told her everything would be fine. Joe Exotic's war with Carole Baskin heats up and he finds himself in court and owing Carole a million dollars. From the age of 14, Kirkham filmed more than 3,000 hours of a video diary. Or text HOME to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor at the freeCrisis Text Line. ", He continued, "It wasn't losing the project that knocked me down, it was the fact that I had let myself go that farSo karma came back around for both Joe and I. He is married to his girlfriend, Kristin E Rosy Kirkham, since April 13, 2018. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. For example, Rick Kirkham worked with Exotic, trying to make a documentary. He writes and produces the theatre show named Frozen Theatre, A Reason to live. I want to put this chapter away but it keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger, he said. But even before the crazy Tiger King experience and the multiple fires, Kirkhams life was already quite wild. Joe . On Tiger King, he co-starred with Mario Tabraue. Rick Kirkham will turn 62 years old on 16 May 2020. He has also worked as a writer in several cinematographers for the Television documentary TV Freak. He claimed he still has nightmares about the experience. Kirkham then landed a job on Inside Edition after finishing college, where he had the opportunity to interview Chuck Norris, James Brown, and even former President George Bush. And I felt guilty. But he also began smoking crack during this time. Accompanying police on drug busts, Kirkham got to carry a gun and wear a bulletproof vest. Much of the day-to-day life of eccentric exotic animal breeder and Oklahoma zookeeper, s life was already recorded as part of a hopeful reality television show project called Joe Exotic, Tiger King., Joe Exotic was everything I had dreamed of in finding a reality show, the project's producer Rick Kirkham said in the Netflix docuseries. Rick is a foodie and likes to eat non-veg dishes and junk foods. The former Inside Edition reporter was making his own show about Joe Exotic and his crazy crew, and lost his footage in that mysterious fire discussed in the Netflix series. "That's the real irony here,is the fact that Joe Exotic, all he ever wanted in his life was to be famous; the most famous man in the world," Kirkham told Sylvester. "I knew that I could make him famous," Kirkham said while remembering a business opportunity that seemed like a good idea at the time. We may never know all of what Kirkham caught on tape and the extent of Exotics story. Then he took off to Las Vegas to become a crime reporter at an NBC affiliate, according to ABC News. He talked about his attempt to make a documentary about Joe Exotics tiger park in Oklahoma. Bush while high, he recounted to Oprah Winfrey, The Dallas Observer reported in 2007. Kirkham took up residency at Maldonado-Passage's G.W. As an interviewee, Kirkham did not receive royalties from the show, but allowed Goode and Chaiklin to use footage of Exotic he owned for a few thousand dollars. Not only is Rick working, but he has seen an uptake in his professional engagements since Tiger King released. [1] After graduating college, Kirkham got his first job; a crime reporter at a Las Vegas NBC affiliate. He has completed his schooling at a reputed high school named American Broadcasting School. You may know Rick Kirkham has the wide-brim hat wearing, reality TV producer who appears on Netflixs Tiger King. Rick Kirkham: Age, Parent, Siblings, Ethnicity. He told her to leave the horse and the trailer and they'd put it out to pasture and give it a good place to live. Much of the day-to-day life of eccentric exotic animal breeder and Oklahoma zookeeper Joe Exotics life was already recorded as part of a hopeful reality television show project called Joe Exotic, Tiger King.. "I started kind of selling out my own journalistic integrity by not stopping it. He then went on speak publicly about his drug use to young adults, and advocate for sobriety. He likes to travel to different countries with his family. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Rick Kirkham Accused of Sexually Harassing Ex-Employee Kacey Roberts", "Tiger King's Joe Exotic 'shot horse in the head and fed it to tigers' on camera", "Tiger King star comes forward with disturbing Joe Exotic story that didn't make it into documentary", "Rick Kirkham on What Tiger King Didn't Show: 'It Was a Hell of a Lot Worse Than What You Saw', "Tiger King's Lies: True Story vs. Netflix Joe Exotic Documentary", "How to watch Surviving Joe Exotic documentary", "TV Junkie Premieres on HBO Tonight -- And, Now, With a Lawsuit! He hasnt been able to escape the popularity of the show there. Before he became addicted to drugs, Kirkham was a dancer on Dick ClarksAmerican Bandstand. Naturally, this included imagery of Exotic sitting on a throne in the middle of a tiger cage, as shown in the docuseries. He is well-known in the country for his Netflix show named "Tiger King". According to Mens Health, Kirkham interviewed Bush while he was under the influence of alcohol. He took over 46 boxes of film and 3,200 videotapes of footage and had them made into the documentaryT.V. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? ( m. 2018) . Kirkham's livestream isn't for everyone. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. Rick Kirkham has publicly admitted to being addicted to strong drugs such as cocaine, which allegedly destroyed his teeth. Camera and Electrical Department: The Last Mark. After backing down, Kirkham went on to work with Joe Exotic on his reality TV show, which featured his personal life and zoo. After all, as the documentary maker, he had his camera rolling at all times and is privy to a fair amount of information. He explained that because ofthese strange things he allegedly witnessed while working with Joe, he can't even be mad that Netflix made a project like the one he initially wanted to make. 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