On Friday, May 8, 2026, Metrograph held a screening of Clueless which was followed by a Q&A with the film's Director Amy Heckerling and Actor Wallace Shawn moderated by John Early and Lucas Kane. The film was kicking off a series of films this month that celebrate Actor and Writer Wallace Shawn and his work on and off camera.

Wallace Shawn immediately makes GenXers think of Princess Bride and the poisoned goblet scene. New York film buffs may go back to My Dinner with Andre. On Friday, we saw him as the loner teacher, that with a little help from Alicia Silverstone, falls in love and starts giving better grades. In the Q&A, you gain some incite into Wally and Amy's memories of working on this film from over 30 years ago. He has acted in so many movies and television shows, it's dizzying, yet for some (himself included), he is a writer.

Not originally listed on the showing, Amy Heckerling was added. Again for us that grew up in the 80s, this is the director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Johnny Dangerously, Clueless, and the Look Who's Talking movies. She wrote Clueless and the Look Who's Talking series. So they worked on Clueless together and other things. If you watch the full Q&A, you can listen in on the mentioning of a secret script.

Tying this together are the moderators and curators of the Wallace Shawn: The Master Builder series at Metrograph. John Early and Lucas Kane are working on a play, What We Did Before Our Moth Days, which is currently running through May 24th at Greenwich House Theater. John Early is acting and Lucas Kane is Stage Manager and Assistant Director. The play happens to be written by Wallace Shawn and directed by André Gregory. Flip the calendar back to 1981, these two created the aforementioned NYC film My Dinner with André.

From Metrograph:

Wallace Shawn is a New York Native, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, supporting actor and leading man. "There are many, many roads that could lead one to Wallace Shawn—be it Andre Gregory's incredulous dinner companion in My Dinner with André, the indelible voice of Rex the dinosaur in Toy Story, or Blair Waldorf's charming stepfather in Gossip Girl. But behind this extraordinary range lies Wally’s perhaps 'truer' self: that of a playwright. The two of us have been lucky enough to spend the last two years steeping in this side of Wally's practice, working on his most recent theatrical masterpiece, What We Did Before Our Moth Days. In awe of his particular blend of poetry and politics, we put together a program that centers around his writing—featuring two rarely seen filmic adaptations of his plays—while also celebrating his sometimes overlooked roles as a leading man, typified in his collaborations with Gregory and the late Tom Noonan. And yet! Lest we neglect his unforgettable ability to breathe life into pop films and cult classics, we've included a couple of films that highlight his character acting, in part, because it's also roles like these which have helped fund his brilliant playwriting. We are proud to present these films and we hope it reveals a new side of our beloved Wally Shawn." —Series curators John Early and Lucas Kane

Follow this link to the complete series of films being offered at Metrograph this month as part of the Wallace Shawn: Master Builder Series. They include several screenings where Wallace Shawn will be present for introducing films and Q&A's after the films. There are screening times on Fridays the 15th and 22nd: https://metrograph.com/series/

Below are some photos from the Clueless screening on Friday, May 8th at Metrograph, the video of the whole Q&A, and a surprise photo of John Early we took of him at the 2017 New York Television Festival.