The animals featured in the show are computer-generated except for the appearance of Kate McKinnon's own real-life cat in Unwanted Animals (2022).
Nicolas Cage turned down the role of Joe Exotic.
Location filming for both zoos was done entirely in Queensland, Australia.
Whenever there is a flashback in this series, the image is rotated in the transition, or "wipe." When the flashback is over and the narrative returns to its current time, usually a clockwise image rotation is used as a wipe.
John Cameron Mitchell and Joe Exotic, whom Mitchell portrays in the series, were born 47 days apart in 1963.