John Early and Kate Berlant on Maddies Secret, alt comedy, and the female orgasm
How does earnest melodrama and offbeat humor make John Early's directorial debut, "Maddie's Secret," a stunner? Also starring Kate Berlant.

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 Maddie Ralf (Early), whose sudden rise to frame has a traumatic impact on her mental and physical health. By her side is her lusty teddy bear of a husband (Eric Rahill) and her sultry bestie Deena (Berlant).
Out of the movie's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko cheered in her review, "Early and his company manage to be funny while never losing touch with the heart of this story," adding, "John Early is a better ingénue than Sydney Sweeney."
So, when Early and Berlant sat down with Puchko in the Say More studio for an interview on all things Maddie's Secret, the trio not only dug into how the comedy duo defines their brand of humor, but also how Early approached performing a female orgasm onscreen, directed by himself.
For more from Mashable's interview with Early and Berlant — including whether they see themselves as a sexy baby or a monster on the hill — check out our YouTube channel.