The Tiger King documentaries show us a behind-the-scenes look at the bizarre personalities and characteristics of their cast. There are so many aspects within these documentaries - deceit, conspiring, hostility, and more - it's almost easy to forget it's based on real-life events and not just a fictional movie.
Who the cast really is, outside of what the show depicts, is up to the viewers' interpretation or comparison to other well-known media, such as Harry Potter. Harry Potter is also filled with a vast number of characters who have unique personalities and play different roles within the plot of the movies. So, what Harry Potter characters seem to be similar to the cast of Tiger King by their attitudes and personas alone?
James Garretson - Petter Pettigrew
James Garretson was the informant who ultimately led to Joe Exotic's arrest. He was willing to become someone else to play behind the scenes and make sure Joe was taking the fall for the crime. Perhaps not the main villain at play here, Garretson was still a trusty sidekick and got the job done.
Just like Peter Pettigrew framing the murder of Lily and James on Sirius, Garretson seems to frame the hit for hire on Joe. And he does it by becoming a "rat," hiding behind the scenes, so no one expects him. Garretson, much like Pettigrew, was a trusty companion willing to put himself at risk to get the dirty work done for his accomplices.
Doc Antle - Gilderoy Lockhart
Doc Antle was introduced in Tiger King 1. His over-the-top dramatics and strange lifestyle were bewildering to viewers and left a few wondering who really is Doc Antle? It was almost clear that most of it was all for show and that he enjoyed the spotlight a little too much.
Doc Antle's holier-than-thou persona and dramatic, almost humorous characteristics seem similar to that of Gilderoy Lockhart's from Harry Potter. Lockhart put up such a facade that made himself this mystical, all-powerful wizard and got others to love him. However, Lockhart was lying about most of it just for fame, much like Doc Antle seemed to do for his zoo, pretending he truly cared for his animals and had plenty of safe for all of them when really he was putting on a show.
Dillon Passage - Draco Malfoy
Viewers only get a glimpse of who Dillon is in the series but are given enough to make their own assumptions on his character. He appears as a somewhat spoiled individual, who tries to fit in with the crowd. Furthermore, he was influenced by the crowd he spent time with and although he had a tough front, fled the first chance he got.
Draco was a highly misunderstood character in Harry Potter, who although stood on the evil side, was acting only because of he was influenced to do so. Like his father, Lucius Malfoy, he was all talk and hardly ever had actions to back it up. Dillon was taken in by Joe at the age of 22, it was only natural for him to try and fit in with Joe's crowd and act according to what he saw around him. Unfortunately, like Draco, when he saw how badly things were going, he dipped as soon as he could.
Tim Stark - Bellatrix Lestrange
Tim Stark showed the viewers how aggressive and delusional he could be in the latest season of Tiger King. He had a mentality that anyone not aligned with his own personal agendas were not worthy of his time and a threat to his livelihood.
Bellatrix was one the most unstable characters in the series. She looked down on others who weren't like her or those who she claimed were superior. She was ready to fight anyone who gets in her way. Tim showed similar aggressive characteristics in the way he threatened to fight people and belittled people on the show. He was a loose cannon ready to go off at any slight inconvenience, much like Bellatrix was in Harry Potter.
Allen Glover - Severus Snape
Allen Glover, although making some mistakes in his life and aligning himself with the wrong people, did not seem like such a bad guy in the Tiger King. He was guilty of playing both sides, but after all, did the right thing and turned himself in.
Snape was dark horse in the Harry Potter series, due to the fact that he played both sides throughout. He aligned himself with both sides and tried to play each part according, much like Glover did with Joe and Jeff. He also, allegedly, could have been the one to send Joe to his death, similarly like Snape did to Dumbledore. Although his actions made him appear so, he really wasn't that bad of a guy after all.
Howard Baskin - Argus Filch
Howard Baskin is the faithful companion by Carole's side. His awkward personality and tough guy act almost seems too much to be true and humorous even. However, he does seem to want to do anything he can to keep Carole happy.
Howard acts as a sort of caretaker for Carole, going out and doing what he can to keep people in line and keep her happy. His awkward personality and loyal laboring shows similarities to Filch in Harry Potter. Filch in the Order of the Phoenix when Umbridge came to the school, constantly tried to keep people in line and do what he could to keep Umbridge happy. He delighted in seeing Umbridge's rules upheld. These characteristics do seem similar to how Howard acts for Carole.
Carole Baskin - Dolores Umbridge
Carole Baskin, somewhat notorious due to Joe and her time on the show, wanted above all else for there to be "order" for the tigers. Although she had good intentions, Carole's way of going about it was not exactly the best, and in some ways a little humorous.
Dolores Umbridge was also a notorious character that wished to bring "order" and balance to the Hogwarts. What seemed like a decent plan, a cause she really thought was the right way, actually caused havoc and pain for the other characters. In some ways, Carole resembles Umbridge in the way she goes about telling others what they can't and can do and putting herself on a pedestal in the process. Her methods of getting what she wants can be sinster in a way and much like Umbridge, causes others to hate her.
Lauren Lowe - Nagini
Lauren is seen several times in the series, but usually only by her husband's side. Even though it seems like her main purpose is to be a trophy wife for Jeff, she, in doing that, also gave him more power.
Nagini was not only Voldemort's prized possession but also assisted in completing his agendas. Nagini by his side made him even more powerful. Lauren similarly is always by Jeff's side, pushing his agendas and assisting him in his goals. They even fully admit in the show that they would prey on people in their zoo, in their "code 69." Lauren preying on guests for her and Jeff's personal benefits, shows resemblances to how Nagini would go out and prey on victims for Voldemort.
Jeff Lowe - Voldemort
Jeff Lowe seems to be the biggest villian in the show by proving through his actions and behavior that he is willing to do whatever he needs to to benefit himself. Jeff is the major con-artist and was willing to see anyone killed or put away so that he was the one on top.
Voldemort is one of the most notorious and evil villains there is, and although Jeff may not fully amount up to that title, he has certainly done some terrible things that show some of his traits resemble that of Voldemort's. Jeff, like Voldemort, is willing to do whatever it takes, suspend anyone he needs, to be the most powerful person standing. He tricked people into following him and had them take the fall for his wrong doings.
Joe Exotic - Lucius Malfoy
Joe remains to be one of the most interesting individuals that the viewers have come to know through this documentary. His personality is so quirky and unique that it is hard to compare it to anyone.
Joe is very much his own character, as he's shown on Tiger King, but he does have similarities to Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy blindly trusts Voldemort because he believes aligning with him will be beneficial for himself. However, Voldemort uses Malfoy for his own gain and sends him off to Azkaban. This sounds very similar to how Joe trusted Jeff to his own downfall. Lucius does manage to escape from Voldemort's command and act freely once again, and perhaps Joe will soon be able to walk freely and get to the better side of things as well.