Spoilers for the first two seasons of Maxton Hall are ahead! You can stream the show with an Amazon Prime subscription, and make sure to watch the finale this Friday, November 28.
Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung play Ruby and James, the romantic leads of Maxton Hall, which means they have to get close, personal and intimate often. So, now, with the second season of the book-to-screen adaptation of Mona Kasten’s novels almost over on the 2025 TV schedule, the two actors have opened up about working together for a long time and how that has made filming sex scenes easier.
There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, Maxton Hall is a romantic, and at times spicy, show. And for two seasons now, Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung have had to play out James and Ruby’s most intimate moments together. So, thinking about their scenes in both Seasons 1 and 2 that fall into that category, I asked the actors how their relationships with each other and their intimacy coordinator have evolved over the seasons. In response, the Ruby actress told me:
So in Season 1, it was my first experience with, like, those intimate scenes, and we worked with a coach, and it was a great experience. And it’s kind of like a dance. Everything is talked [out], and everything is checked out. And I feel like it’s really easy for me to play those scenes with you.
Notably, in Season 2 of Maxton Hall, James and Ruby are broken up for part of the story; however, when they came back together, sparks flew in a big way.
Specifically, at the end of Episode 4, there was an incredibly romantic date that led to them making out at a lavish restaurant before going back to James’ house. Then, Episode 5 opened with an intimate scene in the bedroom; however, as they were taking their clothes off, the flame got put out quickly when James’ dad came home.
Speaking about filming sex scenes and intimate moments like the ones above or the other major moment from the Season 1 finale at Oxford, Damian Hardung told me that, at this point, he and Herbig-Matten work easily together. That, mixed with their history with each other and their crew, makes the process of filming all of this uncomplicated. He said:
I mean, just taking that over the seasons as well. It’s kind of like you get to know each other even better and trust each other even better. There are like just these small things that suddenly, you know, ‘Should we do this exercise or that moment for us? Do we need that?’ It’s like sometimes just the view between the two of us, and we go into character. And I think that is such a unique, beautiful experience to have, and to value, and to cherish, and to use for the good of the show. So I’m really grateful.
I find the chemistry between Hardung and Herbig-Matten to be undeniable, and it makes the show even better. It also helps that they’ve been playing James and Ruby, respectively, for two seasons now. They know what works and what doesn’t, and it’s clear that they’re very comfortable with each other.
Now, I can’t wait to see how their chemistry continues to evolve as we go into the Season 2 finale and eventually Season 3. Maxton Hall is a great romance that I’m obsessed with, and James and Ruby’s love story is so dramatic, romantic, and yes, at times, spicy. However, these two and the team on the show are pros who handle it all well, and clearly have a great time making it, too.