Pauline Chalamet Talks Tribeca Series ‘Switch,’ Bisexual Representation, and Micro-Budget Filmmaking (INTERVIEW)

Switch is a new micro-budget indie series that recently premiered its first three episodes at the Tribeca Festival. Created by Isabelle Barbier and Sophia Castuera, the short-form episodic comedy follows Maxine and Lena as they navigate the early, messy stages of dating while embarking on a highly specific mission: finding a man for a threesome.

We at FandomWire sat down with star Pauline Chalamet to discuss the show’s unique formatting, building chemistry with her co-star Coral Peña, and the comedic realities of bisexual dating.

Switch Interview

Pauline Chalamet and Coral Peña in Switch, which had its first three episodes premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 3 – 14, 2026.

FandomWire: Switch is structured in very short episodes, almost like a movie split up over time. What did you think about that formatting, and how did it come to be?

Pauline Chalamet: Isabelle and Sophia, the creators of the show, set out to make a series on a micro-budget. By the time I met them, the episodes and the storylines were written. They wanted to make a show that emulated the studio system but indie. Meaning they were the showrunners, they were the writers, and they had a different director come in for each episode. Because the budget was so small, the episodes had to be shorter. It restricted them, but because the budget restricted them, they were able to work in a web series format. Today, people love little things to digest.

FW: The show moves at a breakneck pace, which really adds to the comedic timing. Your dynamic with your co-star Coral is fantastic. How did you build that chemistry and play into the comedy?

Chalamet: Coral is just a dream to work with. I’m so lucky that she was cast opposite me. Sophie and Isabelle did all the proper things. They took us out to lunch for us to meet, and we had a table read where we met the other actors, the directors, and the technical team. But you’re never going to know if it’s going to match with a co-star until you start working. Coral and I just have really compatible ways of working and we respect each other. We didn’t know each other before, but our chemistry was born from showing up prepared, excited to be there, and wanting to be in the sandbox with all the other creators and filmmakers. That is how it is when you’re on an indie project.

FW: Early in the series, your character makes a quip about how simple men are. The show puts a twist on that by making all the men we’ve met so far absolute nutters. What kind of commentary is the show making about men in this specific dating world?

Chalamet: There is obviously a comedic element to it that Sophie and Isabelle were very excited to explore. We are dealing with two characters who identify as bisexual, and it was really important to Isabelle and Sophia that these characters be bisexual. When Coral and I asked why they weren’t looking to have a threesome with a woman, it was an opportunity to stick to this bisexual storyline that was very important to them. It also let us poke fun at some of the stereotypical men one could encounter on a journey to trying to find a man to have a threesome with.

Pauline Chalamet and Coral Peña in Switch, which had its first three episodes premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 3 – 14, 2026.

FW: It’s rare to see bisexual characters explored in this specific way. The show also works as a buddy comedy because you two have this romantic chemistry, but you’re also just palling around. How do you balance those two different relationship dynamics?

Chalamet: We’re meeting characters who are at the beginning of their dating journey, at least in the first three episodes. There is that thing when you start dating someone where you’re teetering on this friendship and romantic ledge for a bit. I think that’s the space we’re meeting Maxine and Lena in.

FW: Going back to the formatting, the series is eight episodes, which equals out to movie length. How do you think chopping it up into episodes contributes to the story differently than a regular feature film?

Chalamet: I understand how movies are made more than I understand the world of television. It was a question I had for Sophia and Isabelle when we started working. I quickly realized that their background is in television. Sophia is especially familiar with the studio system and shows. I realized it’s their language. This way of telling stories, of chopping it up, is how they speak, and so it’s how they wanted to tell a story.

FW: As people watch the show, what do you hope they take away from these characters? Can you give us any teasers for how the world evolves past these first few episodes?

Chalamet: One of the things the show explores that I think would be interesting for people to take away is that knowing what you want and need is not the same thing as communicating with your partner. Communication is its own thing. We see these characters on their journey of how they learn to communicate with one another. In terms of future episodes, without giving any big spoilers, I hope the question people ask themselves is whether they are going to get what they want or not. What I can say is that there are going to be a lot of other situations that Maxine and Lena find themselves in.

The first three episodes of Switch premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from June 3 – 14.