Casualty confirms ex-EastEnders star Nigel Harman is joining as new clinical lead

A face from Dylan Keogh's past…

By Justin Harp

7 Feb 2023

casualty,nigel harman dr max christie,bbc,alistair heap

BBC

Casualty spoilers follow.

Casualty has confirmed ex-EastEnders star Nigel Harman is joining the show as new clinical lead Max Cristie.

Max is full of confidence as he arrives on the ward, yet he's immediately put on the back-foot when he comes face-to-face with someone from his past.

As the weeks go by, it will be revealed that Max has a long history with Dylan Keogh dating back to medical school, yet he has no time to process the reunion when he's thrown into a life-or-death case.

"I'm honoured and grateful to be joining the cast of Casualty," the actor said. "Many pals have donned the famous scrubs over the years and had a ball, so for me it was an easy decision. With Max the viewers can expect a character who leads with his heart and not always his head. Never afraid to get in a scrape or two, yet loyal to the end even if it means putting himself in danger."

Harman is already filming on the BBC One continuing drama and will be making his first appearance as Max later this month.

The veteran TV actor is perhaps best known for playing Sharon Watts' long-time love Dennis Rickman in EastEnders throughout the early 2000s.

Getty Images

Other notable roles have been in Hotel Babylon and Downton Abbey, as well as notable stage roles in Shrek The Musical, I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical and Big Fish.

Executive Producer for BBC Studios, Jon Sen, announced the actor's Casualty casting: "We are thrilled to be welcoming Nigel to the cast of Casualty. When we conceived the character of Max we knew we needed an actor with craft, charm and charisma and we approached Nigel knowing he'd be the perfect choice.

"We were over the moon when he agreed to play the role and from what we've seen so far, Nigel's creating an iconic character who is set to stir things up within the Emergency Department. We can't wait for the audience to meet Max."

Casualty airs on Saturdays on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.