Maxine Conway
| Maxine Conway | |
|---|---|
| Wentworth character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "The Danger Within" |
| Portrayed by | Socratis Otto |
| Duration | 2014– |
| Information | |
| Full name | Max Conway (birth) |
| Affiliation |
Bea Smith Wentworth Prison |
| Significant other(s) | 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.
During the fourth episode of the fourth season, Maxine is diagnosed with breast cancer.
The backstory given by Wentworth's website states "Maxine is a male-to-female transsexual 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."
Otto said in an interview with What's on TV that Maxine was "a totally innocent bird".
Otto claimed in an interview that Maxine was a "loyal disciple" to top dog Bea.
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."
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."
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."
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."
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Wikipedia