John Early Can Do It All in the Larger-than-Life Melodrama-Comedy Maddie's Secret

Maddie’s Secret Feels Like an Attempt to Outrun Irony

John Early’s ‘Maddie’s Secret’ feels like an attempt to outrun irony. In the comedian’s directorial debut — a strange, delightful homage to TV movies — he plays a food influencer with an eating disorder.

John Early’s Secret Is Total Commitment

John Early has one of the most expressive faces of any actor working today. You've almost certainly seen it. The 38-year-old comedian, born and raised in Nashville, has had many small breaks into the zeitgeist over the past decade or so. His voice might also be familiar to you: He's worked on a gamut of animated shows including Bob's Burgers, Tuca & Bertie, The Great North, and Summer Camp Island (a personal favorite). He appeared most recently …

John Early and Kate Berlant on 'Maddie's Secret,' alt comedy, and the female orgasm

John Early and Kate Berlant have built their careers in comedy through scene-stealing appearances in movies and TV, as well as offbeat sketches of their own making, as seen in their joint special Would It Kill You to Laugh? Now they re-team for Maddie's Secret, a compelling comedy that Early wrote, directed, and headlined as the title character. Inspired by earnest melodramas, Maddie's Secret centers on a foodie-focused content creator named Mad…

John Early can do it all in the larger-than-life melodrama-comedy Maddie's Secret

Wickedly sharp and surprisingly moving, John Early’s Maddie’s Secret is a melodramatic comedy like few others. Mixing in influences as varied as Todd Haynes and Douglas Sirk with afterschool TV specials and a level of camp perfected in movies like But I’m A Cheerleader, Early’s feature debut is a refreshing send-up of TV and movie tropes that embraces sentimentality with a cheeky sense of humor. Taking on the competitive world of social platform…

John Early Thinks Missy Elliott Still Doesn’t Get Enough Credit

In the surreal comedy Maddie’s Secret, in theaters June 19, John Early plays a food influencer struggling with an eating disorder as her career goes viral. But even Early, who cites Divine and Charles Busch as some of his biggest inspirations, isn’t sure whether the role counts as a drag performance. “I wanted the movie to feel like a fairytale set in contemporary life, and so it was very important to me that she be glowing,” he says of Maddie’s…

Film Review: Maddie’s Secret ★★★★

From the outside, Maddie Ralph (John Early) seems to have it all. She’s a natural beauty with a handsome devoted husband, Jake (Eric Rahill), who cherishes and supports her, and an adoring fun-loving best friend and co-worker, Deena (Kate Berlant). With a passion for cooking and a flare for producing inspired vegetarian dishes, often involving... Continue Reading →