Max Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ben Sheriff from 1995 to 1997, and Matt Littler from 1997 to 2008. He first appeared on 6 November 1995, and Littler took over the role in September 1997. In 2008, Max was the second longest running character in Hollyoaks, after Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard). In May 2008, it was announced that Littler had decided to leave the show and would depart in July 2008.
Character creation
The character of Max first appeared in 1995 as one of the original Hollyoaks characters. At this time, he was played by actor Ben Sheriff. Hollyoaks producer Phil Redmond decided to recast the character in 1997 when he found Matt Littler. Littler spoke of playing an already established character stating: "I didn't really watch it much, so it didn't really affect me" and also revealed he had met with Sheriff and his career was fine post filming. Littler followed the role for almost eleven years until his decision to leave the show in 2008.
Development
Family deaths
Max found himself surrounded by death, with older sister Dawn dying of leukaemia in 1997. His stepbrother Lewis committed suicide in 2001. His death made Max look at life in a different way, deciding to spend less time with OB and open a new business, a burger van. Max also began dating Jodie Nash, however it was soon over. In 2004, Max saw more misery when his father Gordon and stepmother Helen were killed in a car crash. Max took it upon himself to raise younger half brother Tom. In 2006, another death hit the family, this time Max's step niece Grace Hutchinson, who died to suspected Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. With the four deaths, Max decided to live his life to the full rather than not get to live in at all. Max then met and fell in love with Clare Devine.
Marriage to Clare
Max found himself engaged to Clare Devine, who he had previously hired as an event organiser for The Loft. OB saw through gold-digging Clare and tried to tell Max. Max and OB ended up falling out over Clare. After Max suffered a heart attack, Clare took it upon herself to make sure he never recovered. She started tampering with his pills. During Christmas in a secluded cottage, Max found out that Clare had tampered with his pills and realised OB was right about her. Clare had put Tom's jacket in an icy lake outside, which made Max jump in. Clare the revealed Tom was in no danger as he was not in the lake. Luckily, OB turned up and rescued Max.
Clare called the social services and told them Max was hurting Tom, and also told Tom that he was the cause of his parents and Grace's deaths and if he spoke to Max, Max would die. Clare, who had built up many enemies in Hollyoaks, was pushed over a balcony at The Loft and was left for dead. Max and OB were two of the suspects, however Max's name was soon cleared. Max made a visit to a recovering Clare at her home and threatened her, telling her if she did not tell the social services she made Max's abuse of Tom up, he would kill her. Clare then agreed. Clare was forced out of Hollyoaks, however kidnapped Katy Fox. Max, Warren Fox and Justin Burton followed Clare to save her. A high speed car chase led to Clare and Katy plummeting over a quarry into water below. Warren and Justin jumped in to save Katy. Max then leapt in to save Clare, even though she had repeatedly tried to kill him. Under the water, Max tried to save Clare who was pulled away by the current and apparently drowned. Back in Hollyoaks, Max had a heart to heart with Steph Dean, who told Max it was not his fault Clare had died.