Max Hoyland

Max Hoyland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Stephen Lovatt. He made his first appearance on 22 August 2002 and departed on 16 February 2007. Casting After his last appearance in 2007, Lovatt said that he did not know if he would be coming back to Neighbours. However, he said that he would "consider any offer from its producers", but thought that characters like Max usually go for good. Development Network Ten describe Max stating: "Max always looked out for his little sister and cultivated a stern sense of responsibility." Describing his likeness to his mother Rosie Hoyland (Maggie Millar), they add: "Both headstrong and idealistic, they rub up against tradition and authority the wrong way and frequently find themselves taking opposite stances on big issues." Tom Adair writing for The Age, has described his character as simply "decency personified". The character's mother, Rosie Hoyland, and children Boyd Hoyland (Kyal Marsh) and Summer Hoyland (Marisa Siketa) were introduced in early 2002. Max's whereabouts were initially unknown, as he left the family following the death of his wife to long QT syndrome. Lovett said that Max "turns up out of the blue – it's a complete surprise to Rosie and the kids". After learning that Summer has the same heart condition as his late wife, Max wants to "take on his fatherly responsibilities again." He appears reluctant to talk about why he abandoned his children, but Lovett thought that viewers would see that his wife's death has had a big impact on him. He knows she was too young to die, so he is worried about Summer having the same condition. Max does not receive a warm welcome from Rosie and Boyd, so Max is determined to reconnect with them and moves into Number 32 Ramsay Street. Lovett added, "Max knows that he's got a lot of making up to do as far as the kids are concerned. But he tends to overcompensate and it all ends up kind of backfiring on him!"