Maxine Conway
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| Maxine Conway | |
|---|---|
| Wentworth character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "The Danger Within" |
| Last appearance | "The B*tch Is Back" |
| Portrayed by | Socratis Otto |
| Duration | 2014–2017 |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Max Conway (birth) |
| Affiliation | Bea Smith Wentworth Prison |
| Significant other | Gary |
Maxine Conway (formerly Max) is a recurring character from Wentworth, portrayed by actor Socratis Otto. Maxine is notable for being Bea Smith's (Danielle Cormack) bodyguard and also for being transgender within the series. She was dating Gary until she stabbed him.
During the fourth episode of the fourth season, Maxine is diagnosed with breast cancer.[1]
Episode 2 of Season 5 saw Maxine's departure to a facility that is specially equipped to treat her cancer.
The backstory given by Wentworth's website states "Maxine is a male-to-female transgender person who, despite having undergone gender reassignment surgery and wearing a wig and make-up, looks unambiguously male. Devastated after being rejected by her boyfriend following her surgery, Maxine responded by stabbing him resulting in her doing time in Wentworth."[2]
Characterisation
Otto said in an interview with What's on TV that Maxine was "a totally innocent bird".[3]
Otto claimed in an interview that Maxine was a "loyal disciple" to top dog Bea.[4]
Speaking to the interviewer for Female First, Otto stated, "For me Daniel it was trying to not necessarily educate but just to present a character, a transgender that would make audiences question their own approach and their own stereotypes about transsexuals."[5]
Otto has been able to compare Maxine to Boomer he said, "Booms has no filter. Although the huge similarity she shares with Maxine is that they've both grown up feeling and being told they don't belong, mocked, outsiders. They're both essentially abandoned children simply pining for love."[6]
In an interview with Gay Times, Otto said, "When I signed up I had an inkling because I knew it was reliant on intense characters and drama. By season three, once Maxine gets completely accepted, she aligns herself with Bea and we see a whole new side of her personality. She becomes sassy, confident and strong, and later you see a lot of the comedy coming out between Maxine and Boomer. I think Maxine recognised herself in Boomer; the little lost person who just wants to be loved and is not part of the norm."[7]
When interviewed by Herald Sun, Otto said, "The beautiful irony is that Maxine is much more of a woman than many of the female characters on Wentworth because of what she represents in terms of what we perceive a woman to be. She is a nurturer, she is sensitive, a mother, loyal, independent, virtuous, she is a survivor."[8]
Look and Design
Otto stated in an interview that he disliked the nails he had for the role. Asked how the show's creators gave him a woman's body, Otto said, "It's crazy from the neck down. I have special trans-gender underwear, which accentuates the physique so I've got butt implants and hips, not to mention my chicken fillets. Everyone at work is very jealous because I've had different looks throughout the season. But the make-up does take longer than the others." Otto said that he had negative preconceptions about the trans community until he did research for the role.[9]
Cancer
In the episode "Screw Lover", Maxine is diagnosed with cancer.[1] Otto said in an interview, "It is an estrogen sensitive cancer that any woman can get and men can get breast cancer as well and there is not enough information out there. For me, the story is about who am I in the face of a life or death situation and what do my family and friends reveal to me and we are much more than our gender at the end of the day."[8] Otto thought it was an "incredibly brave" subject matter, and "it was very beautiful and emotional". He said that the writers had given Maxine the biggest confrontation to deal with in that season.[10]