Wait, let him explain!

Survivor star Joe Hunter got cast on Tyler Perry show thanks to the Tooth Fairy

Wait, let him explain!

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

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June 25, 2026 11:15 a.m. ET

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Joe Hunter in 'Tyler Perry's Where There's Smoke'. Credit:

- Joe Hunter reveals how starring on *Survivor* led to his being cast by Tyler Perry as an actual actor.

- The reality star explains his phone call with the producer and how that helped seal the deal.

- The Tooth Fairy is involved. Seriously.

Joe Hunter did something pretty remarkable, playing *Survivor* twice a mere year apart and making it all the way to the end both times. That put him in a very exclusive club of contestants able to make it to the final Tribal Council both of their first two times playing. He now sits beside franchise legends like Sandra Diaz-Twine, Amanda Kimmel, Russell Hantz, Michele Fitzgerald, and Natalie Anderson.

Joe’s fortunes fell on day 26, however. He only received one jury vote to win on *Survivor 48* (from Cedrek McFadden) and was completely shut out by the *Survivor 50* jury. But the two-time finalist may have come out of his *Survivor* experience with the biggest prize of all — a new acting career.

It was announced back in March that Joe, who works as a Sacramento Fire Captain — had landed a role on Tyler Perry’s new Netflix firefighter drama series, *Where There’s Smoke*. Joe will be playing Chief Bailey on the show, which, according to an official logline, “follows the lives of a group of firefighters as they navigate the intense challenges of their high-stakes profession while grappling with personal struggles, fractured relationships, and the emotional toll of saving lives in a world filled with danger, drama, and heartbreak.” (Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date.)

Joe Hunter of 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

So how did the fire captain-turned-reality star land an acting gig from one of the biggest producers on the planet on the world’s biggest streamer? Well, it certainly helps that Perry is a massive *Survivor* fan. He even inspired what became known as the “Tyler Perry idol” on *Survivor: Cagayan*… although the season 29 idol that could be played after the votes were read was really just the same thing as the immunity idols on seasons 12 and 13… but I digress.

But even with Perry’s *Survivor* fandom, and even with Joe’s firehouse experience, how did a contestant with no prior acting experience land the coveted gig? “Awesome question!” responds Joe, who reveals the conversations began after his emotional connection with Eva Erickson on *Survivor 48.*

“After season 48 with Eva, he reached out,” Joe tells *.* “We talked about that a lot and then we just became good friends. He's just an outstanding human being and wonderful man.”

While the connection may have started thanks to Perry’s *Survivor* fandom, Joe’s stories about life on the job stuck with the Hollywood heavyweight.

Joe Hunter says 'Survivor 50' jury vote was decided before final Tribal Council

Joe Hunter reveals his wife helped him scout the 'Survivor 50' competition

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“I was on the phone with him, and we were talking about a horrific [firehouse] call involving children.” Joe explains. But while that may have piqued Perry’s interest, the show creator knew the reality star was the right man for the job after what happened next.

“Right after that, my daughter comes up to me and is like, ‘Hey, daddy, I lost my tooth and I need the Tooth Fairy,’” Joe recalls. Little did he know then that the tender moment between father and child helped seal the deal

“He just saw that dynamic, and then we were off and running with this show, and that's all.”

That meant Joe had to transition from the *Survivor* sets of Fiji to the Tyler Perry Studios ones of Atlanta, where he got to watch his new boss work up close on the series (which has yet to announce a premiere date).

“He’s such a brilliant person,” Joe notes. “He did it all, he put it all together. But the stories are real, and he saw something in me, and we've become really great friends. It’s gonna knock your socks off.”

Which leads us to wonder: Does the Tooth Fair pay for socks as well?

- Survivor Fandom

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Survivor”