Actor James DePaiva originated the role of Max Holden on the series episode first-run January 6, 1987, leaving the role in 1990. The character was then recast in a plastic surgery storyline in March of that year. DePaiva returned to the series in October 1991, with no mention made of the character's return to his previous appearance, portraying Max through the character's on-air departure on October 27, 2003; he briefly returned for episodes from August 17 through August 20, 2007, for the on-screen funeral of lead characterAsa Buchanan.
Storylines
Romances and family
Max Holden arrives to Llanview in 1987 to seek a loan from fellow Texan and family friend Maria Roberts, who agreed to give him the money he needed on the condition that Max lure Tina Lordaway from her son, Cord. Max soon falls for Tina, while she was still in love with Cord. While Max and Tina are marrying in ceremony, she accidentally says Cord's name during her vows, and Max then calls off his relationship with her. Max's brother Steve Holden comes to town in 1987 and soon becomes involved with and marries Gabrielle Medina, Max's ex-girlfriend and mother to his son, Al. Gabrielle still cares for Max, however, and the relationship with Steve falls apart in 1988. Later in 1988, at the double wedding of Cord and Tina and Asa and Renée Divine, Steve noticed that the wedding cake had been wired to explode. Steve throws himself in front to the bomb to protect his fiancée Brenda McGillis and is killed instantly as it explodes. Brenda later discovers she was pregnant with Steve's child. Max falls in love in 1991 with Luna Moody, with whom he would have twin children, son Francis Thomas and daughter Leslie Diana. During his marriage, Max engages in a torrid affair in 1993 and 1994 with Blair Cramer, who had previously married Asa in a marriage of convenience. Luna is killed in 1995, leaving Max widowed. Max goes on to enjoy relationships with the cousin of Reverend Andrew Carpenter, as well as a reunion and marriage with Blair and a fling with Kelly Cramer. He also reunites with Gabrielle, but it does not last. From 1999 to 2001, he pretends to be the son of Asa and Renee before being exposed by Todd Manning. In 2002, in a drunken Las Vegas escapade he awakes to find himself married to Roxy Balsom, a union that quickly fizzles. When son Al dies of liver failure in the fall of 2003, at the advice of Luna's spirit, Max leaves Llanview to be with his and Luna's twins Frank and Leslie in North Carolina. Max returns in August 2007 for the funeral of Asa, and reveals that he, Frank, and Leslie were all living in Gabrielle's home country of Argentina. He invites Blair to join him there and kisses her, unaware of her continuing passion for Todd Manning. Blair gently rebuffs him. Wishing his best to Blair, Max returned home to Argentina.
