After Survivor 48 and Season 50, Joe Hunter is stepping into the spotlight in tyler Perry’s New Netflix show
Joe Hunter, the runner-up and fan-favorite of Survivor 48 and current Survivor 50 player, is officially going full Hollywood for his next gig.
According to Netflix, Joe booked a starring role in Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke, which is Netflix’s first firefighter drama series. Outside of Survivor, this will be Joe’s first TV series role as an actor, although it hopefully won’t be a stretch for Joe’s talents. Joe has worked for years as a firefighter and fire captain in Sacramento, California.
Joe joins a talented cast that also includes Tyler Lepley, Mike Merrill, Da’Vinchi, Eltony Williams, Brock O’Hurn, Brittany S. Hall, Jordan Rodriguez, Judi Moon, Mariah Goode, and Karen Obilon.
Here’s the officially synopsis of Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke, via Netflix:
“Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke 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.”
Production on Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke has officially started in Atlanta. Netflix did not reveal when the first season will be released, but it’s possible that the 16-episode first season could be ready as early as the end of 2026.
It’s definitely going to be exciting to see Joe in his next adventure. He’s one of the good guys of Survivor that I think everyone can root for. He started auditioning for Survivor because of his late sister, Joanna Lewis, who died in 2011. Joe was recently involved in a 48 Hours special about his sister’s death, what Joe and his family believe happened, and how they are trying to pass legislation to stop it from happening again.
On Survivor 48, Joe finished as runner-up to winner Kyle Fraser and Eva Erickson, but he made headlines around the world after supporting Eva, who is on the autism spectrum, when she was feeling overwhelmed following a challenge. Their bond throughout the season was an inspiration to many.
Before Joe appears on the new Netflix firefighter series, Survivor fans can catch him playing Survivor 50, which just premiered on Wednesday, Feb. 25. He looked really good in the premiere, even though his tribe lost the first immunity challenge and was sent to tribal council.
Few Survivor players have made the leap into scripted TV
While Survivor is a clear path to fame and fortune for some of its players, most of the players don’t make much of a career out of their Survivor fame. By joining a big Netflix series like Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke, Joe is joining a small group of players who have made the jump to TV shows and movies.
Thanks to Mike White, the creator of The White Lotus, that number has gone up recently. We have seen several former players, including Angelina Keeley, Kara Kay, and Alec Merlino, appear in The White Lotus in small roles.
Matt Elrod of Redemption Island appeared in Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale, and other shows as Wyatt Nash. Jonathan Penner was an actor before playing Survivor, as was Lisa Whelchel, who starred in The Facts of Life and other hit shows. Elisabeth Hasselbeck also started on Survivor before her TV talk show career really took off.
Obviously, we’ve seen a lot of Survivor players who have gone on to compete on other reality shows, like The Challenge, The Traitors, Deal or No Deal Island, and more. That group includes Boston Rob, Parvati Shallow, Tony Vlachos, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tyson Apostol, and many more.
As you can see, the list is not that long. It’s going to be really interesting to see if this is a one-off for Joe or if this is a big career change. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Stay tuned for more news about Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke!
