Exclusive: Neighbours star Ben Jackson reveals Max’s fury over Holly and Andrew

Neighbours spoilers follow.

Neighbours mechanic Max Ramsay is left devastated next week as he discovers that his ex-girlfriend Holly Hoyland cheated on him with Andrew Rodwell. The scandalous secret is exposed when Andrew decides to come clean with his wife Wendy on the day of their wedding vow renewal ceremony.

Andrew’s bombshell sends shockwaves around Ramsay Street in an unmissable set of episodes. Bewildered Max is one to watch as he’s left to process the revelation that Holly betrayed him – and then lied to him over the father of her unborn baby.

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Ben Jackson, who plays Max, recently caught up with us for an exclusive chat about the emotional storyline…

Hi Ben! Neighbours fans have been really looking forward to next week’s episodes. As a cast, did you feel the same sense of anticipation when these scripts were due?

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“Yeah, absolutely! Sometimes people assume that actors know everything that’s going to happen in a project they’re part of, but on Neighbours, we were finding out the storyline details week by week. Whenever the scripts would come out, I felt a lot of anticipation and excitement to read my scenes.

“As we were finding out as we went along, there were so many moments where I was just mind-blown and my jaw dropped!”

How does Max react when he finds out about Holly and Andrew’s affair?

“It’s the ultimate devastation for Max, because Holly was his first love and he’d never felt like that about anyone before.

“There’s also the realisation that he isn’t going to be a father to Holly’s child, which was something he was so excited about. Max saw the pregnancy as a beautiful opportunity for him and Holly to reunite and have a family together, but now he’s losing that.

“It’s beyond anything that he’s experienced before in his life – just complete and utter devastation.”

We’ve come to know Max as an easy-going guy, so was it fun to explore this different energy?

“Yeah, because I feel like we haven’t seen Max frustrated in a while! He came into town with an energy that was hot and heavy, but then he had his big redemption arc and became a really lovely guy. I think we’re yet to see Max go back into his old ways.

“It was a good opportunity for me to delve back into that – finding those feelings of frustration, hurt and anger.”

We know there’s a big scene coming up where Max confronts Holly and Andrew at the Kennedy house. How was that to film?

“I was very nervous, but also really excited to film that scene. When I saw how upset Max had to get, I thought: ‘Oh, wow, this will be a really great opportunity for me to sink my teeth into some pretty full-on material’. But at the same time, I also felt that pressure to deliver.

“On the day, it was different to my usual preparation. We’d usually shoot scenes with Max, Taye and Sadie, which were very light, fun and friendly. I was always able to carry that lightness that I had with the actors – who were also my friends in real life – into those scenes.

“But for this particular episode, I think the crew were obviously very aware that it was a really intense scene. So there was this very ominous quiet on set – and everyone was really generously giving all of us the space and the quiet to really lock in and prepare.”

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How did it go in the moment?

“I found myself behind the door going into the Kennedy house before each take – just trying to psych myself into it.

“I was really lucky as well, because the material was so devastating. So I didn’t really need to reach into my mind and draw on moments in my own life where I’ve been really upset. The material itself was so well written, rich and so devastating that I just really focused on that and how Max was feeling – and I was able to get there.”

Who helped you to prepare on the day?

“I’d love to give a big shout out to Sara Murphy, who was one of the make-up artists there on the day. She’s such a lovely lady – and kind of became my mum on set! In between takes, she was checking on me to see how I was feeling, as she came to touch up my make-up and wipe my tears away as well.

“Our director Iain Pirret was also wonderful. I remember that, to help with the preparation, he’d given me the list of the seven stages of grieving. He just said: ‘See if this resonates and how it would apply to how Max feels’.

“I felt very emotionally and mentally exhausted after it, but it was so rewarding at the same time.”

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Max and Andrew have had a friendly connection until now. How does Max feel about Andrew’s role in the betrayal?

“Max is definitely frustrated and outraged. Andrew is his friend’s dad and he’s a lot older than the characters in that friendship group. So Max thinks: ‘Yeah, Holly’s taken me for a ride here and done something really awful to me, but Andrew should know better’.

“Max feels completely and utterly betrayed by Andrew, especially considering that he confided in Andrew at certain points about Holly and how she was acting weird towards him. He just feels disgusted.”

Are there any scenes with Max and Wendy where they compare notes as the betrayed partners in the affair?

“There’s not too many, but I wish there were more! It’s a shame, because I love Candice Leask, who plays Wendy, so much. She’s so wonderful and I have a great rapport with her – I think she’s an incredible actor.

“I can’t wait for everyone to see Candice’s work in the fallout of everything, because her performances are just heartbreaking and breathtaking. She does a phenomenal job.

“I heard that there was the idea of a storyline between Max and Wendy. There were some ideas that were sprouting, but I think they got scrapped. Max and Wendy just internalise a lot and sit in their own hurt without sharing it with each other.”

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Once the truth is out, there aren’t many weeks of Neighbours left! With the show ending, how can this messy situation ever be resolved?

“I have to be careful what I say! (Laughs.) I will say that, for everyone out there worrying about poor Max, it’s the same with everything in life – time is the ultimate healer. I think we can all rest assured that at some point, some day, somehow, Max will eventually be okay – whether we see him get there before the end of the show or not.

“But it’s a real action-packed ending of the show. If anything, you would think that after the culmination of this storyline, there wouldn’t be much room for growth before the finale. But you best believe it is ramping up and there’s a lot to come! We’re at the tip of the iceberg, to be honest.”

It’s probably going to be the last affair scandal in Neighbours’ 40-year history! Are you pleased that you were involved in it?

“I was so excited and very grateful. It’s a rite of passage to be on Neighbours and be involved in an affair storyline, so I felt very lucky. There was so much for us to sink our teeth into – and it was very, very layered. It was a really good exercise for me to try and dig a little bit deeper with the material and flex the acting muscles a little bit more.

“As everyone says, Neighbours and similar shows are the ultimate training ground for up-and-coming actors. So I very much got to feel that shooting this storyline, which I was really grateful for as well. It’s really surreal now, watching it all back and being in a position where I’m not shooting. I can enjoy watching the show almost like an audience member.”

It must also be nice to have a storyline where the fans are on your side, which wasn’t the case when Max first joined!

“Yeah, I can’t lie – it is very lovely seeing the support for Max in the comments! It’s very, very much appreciated.”