Although John Early dons a wig and fake boobs for Maddie’s Secret, he doesn’t consider his titular role to be drag.
The writer, director and star of the Magnolia Pictures comedy, which is now in theaters, admitted he’s “not strong enough” to attempt proper drag, despite playing a woman in his directorial debut.
“When I’m asked about if I classify this as drag, I don’t think I do,” he explained to Queerty. “I love drag—I worship drag! I’ve done drag once, in a bar setting, and I was awful at it. It’s a different skill, and I’m not strong enough!”
Early noted that while drag calls for exaggerated gender performance, the character of Maddie Ralph is “humble and small” in comparison.
And while it was “hot and heavy” under the layers of Maddie’s physical appearance, Early found it easy slipping into character.
John Early in ‘Maddie’s Secret’ (2025) (Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
In Maddie’s Secret, Early plays food influencer Maddie, who finds online stardom while working for a trendy company, only for the mounting pressures of her newfound success to reawaken a secret from her troubled past.
The ensemble cast also includes Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer and Chris Bauer.
