That’s not for Early’s lack of trying. He has long played ridiculous characters who are prone to self-absorption and emotional explosions, like his breakout turn as the diabolical Elliott Goss on Search Party or, more recently, his multi-episode arc as the questionably heterosexual TV writer Josh on the final season of The Comeback. Maddie exists in contrast to those roles. She’s “a dork,” in Early’s estimation, and though she can be effusive and passionate, her story is full of quieter moments, like when she’s formulating a recipe during the opening credits as she jogs to work, inspired by the sights and smells of Los Angeles. For much of the film’s running time, Maddie is a woman on the verge. “You can only be screaming for so long before your voice gets hoarse,” says Early. “I don’t want to be playing a raging narcissist for the rest of my life. I’ve done that a lot, and there was a crackling there. It was really cathartic for me to play a narcissist because I grew up a good Presbyterian boy, so that had real energy behind it.”
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