Nigel Harman’s introduction to Casualty as maverick medic Max Cristie in February 2023 saw the confident consultant march onto the wards of Holby ED like a lion and take control of the department.
Now after a whirlwind tenure in the role of clinical lead, Max, enigmatic until the end, bows out of the BBC1 show in an uncharacteristically sheepish exit following major surgery!
“Casualty’s history is breathtaking, when I started I’d no idea it was 37 years old [the medical drama celebrates its 38th anniversary on 6 September 2024]. I was honoured and grateful to join the team.
"They’re very good at creating really exciting storylines and since I first joined up Max has evolved constantly - there have been lots of twists and turns!” the 50-year-old actor told What To Watch in an interview last year.
This week in Easy Way Out while recovering from a life-saving transplant, thanks to a kidney donation by his daughter Jodie Whyte (Anna Chell), Max makes a shocking decision about his future.
After revealing that he’s been offered a six-month placement in war-torn South Sudan, he impulsively discharges himself from the renal unit and departs without so much as a goodbye, leaving Jodie heartbroken…
“Max practises medicine on instinct; he will jump in when he sees a problem rather than being altogether rational,” says Nigel, who became a household name as EastEnders fan favourite Dennis Rickman from 2003 to 2005 and won a new legion of admirers on Strictly Come Dancing 2023. “He’s very at home with trauma surgery and acting quickly. If it means saving lives, he worries about the fallout afterwards.”
Here, we look back at his most memorable moments...
Nigel Harman's most memorable Casualty moments...
Hero of the hour
Risking his life in the line of duty has always been second nature to the daring doctor. Last month in Willing and Able he rescued two protesters trapped in a collapsed tunnel, despite his end-stage kidney failure diagnosis.
This wasn’t the first time his daring-do put him in danger. In his spectacular debut Crash Landing Max pulled out all the stops to save a young girl when the train they were travelling on was derailed. Later, in Burning Bridges, he raced into a pub believing his daughter Jodie was inside…
“Max has a natural affinity with people who are vulnerable. During the train crash he performed an emergency procedure on a seriously ill young girl and wouldn't leave her side. When the pub exploded he ran in to save Jodie. It’s animal instinct. When the chips are down he takes matters into his own hands. I think that's what makes him slightly dangerous but exciting to be around.”
Secret daughter
Max has a knack for shocking those around him, but the shoe was on the other foot when junior nurse Jodie Whyte started working at the ED. Viewers learned early on that she was his estranged daughter, while their co-workers suspected they were a couple!
When the truth finally came out, their rocky relationship continued, as Max hid his deadly kidney prognosis, afraid Jodie would feel obliged to become a donor. Now, post-op, Jodie is hoping to build a meaningful connection with her father, only to be cruelly let down. Again…
“I’ve always read it as Max loves Jodie, but he doesn’t know how to express it. He feels great guilt for never being a part of her life growing up. He’s completely lost when it comes to her… She definitely has reason [not to trust him].”
Sparring partner
When Max arrived in Holby, he already knew one of his new colleagues, Dr Dylan Keogh (William Beck). The pair studied at the same university 20 years ago but have a complicated history, with things becoming even more tangled when they became love rivals for the affections of then-clinical nurse manager Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs). Despite all of this, Dylan became one of Max's closest confidantes...
"There’s a deep respect between Max and Dylan, but also a rivalry there," says Nigel. "Max really enjoys winding him up. We’ve had quite a few good one-liners between them. I have to say, we all laughed a lot on set!"
Affairs of the heart
When it comes to romance, Max keeps his cards close to his chest. So much so the staff at Holby ED had no idea that he was having a sizzling liaison with Donna Jackson. Although his love-rival Dylan Keogh had the misfortune of walking in on them while they were hooking up in Max’s office!
Dylan’s exact words at catching them in flagrante were "Oh. Oh!" before doing a backward shuffle. The passionate pair’s fling ended when Donna was sent to jail for dangerous driving.
“I’m taking the fifth on Max’s relationship status!”
Mum’s the word
The introduction of former EastEnders star Kate Williams as his mother Stella Lawson set the cat among the pigeons good and proper. The mouthy matriarch was admitted to the ED with a fever and demanded to speak to Max. This became the very moment Jodie discovered she had a paternal grandmother! From there the family skeletons started rattling like ice cubes in a glass on a vibration plate. Stella revealed that she gave her son one of her kidneys when he was younger before disclosing that he needed a new donor…
“Having another family member turn up was exciting. You see Max completely wrong footed, because he’s very much in charge of every situation he’s in. It totally throws him and you get to see another side to him.”
Talking the talk
Getting to grips with medical jargon is no easy task, never mind performing pretend-procedures in tandem with tongue-twisting terminology. Yet it was a challenge Nigel relished during his time on the show.
“It’s a bit like learning a language. It got easier but in the first handful of scenes I was sweating! I came to look forward to it in a sort of masochistic way, but it takes some getting used to and, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t always 100% sure what I was talking about!
“Once I was filming a scene where there was a severe bleed that squirted into my face and I had to carry on, covered in blood, while everyone around me was laughing!”
Legend at work
Nigel was filming with Casualty when it was announced that original cast member Derek Thompson was hanging up his scrubs after playing nurse Charlie Fairhead for almost four decades…
“I’m really grateful I worked with Derek. I’ve had mates who appeared on the show over the years and they all told me to seek him out when I started, so I did. I remember the first time I was on set with him - we were shooting scenes in resus with Max and Charlie and we managed to spend about three hours gassing. He’s really good value for chat! I can’t remotely get my head around what he’s achieved, it’s extraordinary.”
Farewell Max and so long Nigel, you’ve been an exciting addition to the Holby Universe and perhaps we’ll see you again sometime down the line!
Nigel Harman’s final Casualty episode Easy Way Out airs on BBC1, Saturday, March 2 at 9.20pm. It is available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
