Episode
John Early on Maddie’s Secret
- Podcast
- The Film Comment Podcast
- Published
- Jun 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2698
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/a9d7fa7d
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Summary
Listeners might know John Early as a very funny comedian and actor—but last year at the Toronto International Film Festival, John debuted a new role: an auteur. His first feature, Maddie’s Secret , takes cues from TV movies, PSAs, erotic thrillers, internet videos, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls , and more to craft a movie that, despite all these influences and parodic touches, feels wonderfully original and earnest. Early plays the titular Maddie, a food influencer who struggles with bulimia, with sincere commitment, somehow walking the tightrope between campy, laugh-out-loud wit and a profound empathy. Maddie’s Secret opens in cinemas on June 19. Keep your ears open for Part 2 of this conversation, which will be dropping soon as an exclusive for Film Comment subscribers.