John Finlay is almost unrecognizable in Netflix’s Tiger King aftershow.
Fans who aren’t following the docuseries’ cast members on social media were taken by surprise after seeing Finlay’s new look in the aftershow, which arrived on the streaming service last Sunday. In all of his interviews for the main seven episodes of Tiger King, Finlay had a very few teeth left. But in the aftershow, Finlay is seen sporting a new set of teeth that makes him look much better than the last time most viewers saw him.
“It took a while to get them, but once I actually got them, it took me a while to get them to where I was able to really wear them,” Finlay says of his new dentures in the aftershow, before adding that he “pretty much” wears them “all the time.”
Finlay’s glow-up is so shocking that a lot of fans have taken to Twitter to share their disbelief:
There is no way both of these pics are of John Finlay pic.twitter.com/EpakyC6j1p
— Eka ?? (@eka__d) April 13, 2020
omg. had it been not for ma husband, i wouldn't know this?? is john finlay?. unbelievable how he's grown into a handsome man.
loved, last season of #TigerKing. i came out as a fan of jeff lowee and his humor?. looking forward to watch it as movie. pic.twitter.com/nP5vWWCGDD
— Sitina Nuri (@sitinanu) April 14, 2020
John Finlay had himself a post breakup glow up ??
— Tom Seaborne (@tomseabs) April 13, 2020
John Finlay is the glow-up of 2020 already.. that’s it #TigerKingNetflix #tigerking pic.twitter.com/N8JU4DSiJU
— Colleen Deere (@MizzDeere) April 12, 2020
John Finlay has had the biggest glow up in history! ? #TigerKingNetflix pic.twitter.com/FchlGXNoLH
— ?The Barrowboy? (@Barrowboy77) April 11, 2020
tbh no one has ever had a glow up as impressive as john finlay’s #tigerkingandi #TigerKing pic.twitter.com/PGB0tv7kuJ
— Natalie Moon (@nmoon1417) April 13, 2020
Finlay, who is one of the few likeable personalities in the series, joined the staff of Joe Exotic’s Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in 2003. In 2014, while still working in the zoo, Finlay entered a throuple with Exotic and another park employee named Travis Maldonado.
After leaving Exotic and testifying in his case, Finlay, according to TMZ, got his teeth redone in July 2019, choosing to complete the entire procedure at one time, rather than one step at a time. But Finlay’s healthier look isn’t just because of his new dentures. He’s also happily engaged now to a woman named Stormey.
Awww John Finlay looks great and healthy in this interview. Good for him! #TigerKing
— Rurouni Aly (@Just_Aly_) April 14, 2020
John Finlay looks so happy and healthy! I’m so happy for him!
— laur (@lauraleighb_) April 14, 2020
John Finlay positively had a glow-up and I’m happy for him #TigerKingAndI
— Andrew Rainaldi (@AndrewRainaldi) April 14, 2020
Let #johnfinlay from #TigerKing be an example to all you ladies out there of the glow-up you can experience when exiting a toxic relationship
— Melissa Ledford (@MelissaLedfor13) April 13, 2020
This tells you everything you need to know about the kind of man Joe Exotic is. I'm happy John Finlay is happy now – you can see it in his eyes. #TigerKing https://t.co/pugqZqG0h0
— Noelle Perera (@noellemartine) April 14, 2020
Since leaving Exotic, Finlay has also put working with exotic animals behind him. Finlay, who is now six years clean from drugs, said that he now wants to help others overcome addiction using his newfound platform.
“I want to work with the youth about drugs and abuse,” he told People in a recent interview. “It’s time for me to take a negative and turn it into a positive. It’s time to really think about the kids and my future and stuff and use this thing for something good not just to be, ‘Hey, I have a personal gain now. It’s all about me.’ It’s not all about me. It’s about other people too.”