John Early and Kate Berlant on Maddie's Secret

They don’t make film heroines quite like Maddie Ralph any more. Created and played by John Early, Maddie is a bright-eyed dishwasher with dreams of becoming a food influencer; the film nods to ’50s Women’s Pictures even as it tracks an old eating disorder that threatens her ambitions.

“I wanted to make a character that people feel very endeared to and protective of,” Early says. Kate Berlant plays Deena, Maddie’s spicy lesbian best friend. The two met in the Brooklyn comedy scene and have reunited repeatedly—from early web skits like Paris to larger projects and their 2022 Peacock special Would It Kill You to Laugh?—bringing a long-standing rapport to the film.

Maddie spends late nights cooking fussy fusion dishes while Jake (Eric Rahill) and Deena push her to post videos; as she edges toward viral fame, she disguises bulimic purging as morning sickness.

john early, kate berlant, maddie ralph, deena, eric rahill, food influencer, eating disorder, bulimic purging, brooklyn comedy, peacock special