Maxton Hall’s Harriet Herbig-Matten, Damian Hardung’s Friend Moments
Damian Hardung and Harriet Herbig-Matten: From On-Screen Love Interests to Real-Life Friends
Playing the roles of James and Ruby on the Prime Video series Maxton Hall brought Damian Hardung and Harriet Herbig-Matten together in a special way. Based on Mona Kasten’s Save You book series, the German-language TV drama captured the hearts of viewers with its enemies-to-lovers romance.
Debuting in May 2024, Maxton Hall quickly became a sensation, breaking records as the most-watched non-U.S. title on Prime Video during its first week. The show was renewed for a second season just one week after its premiere, solidifying its place in the hearts of fans.
Despite their characters’ tumultuous relationship on screen, Hardung and Herbig-Matten developed a close bond off-screen while filming the series in 2022. Reflecting on their first meeting, Herbig-Matten revealed that their initial interaction was not as friendly as their characters’ on-screen romance.
“I think in our first audition, he had come into the room and he had this suit on and I was like, ‘Who’s this arrogant boy there?’ But in our second and last audition, it just clicked and we had tension,” Herbig-Matten shared in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in June 2024. “So we had chemistry, we just didn’t see that.”
Hardung also spoke about the trust they built while working on the show, emphasizing the dynamic nature of their relationship on and off set. “We had a very interesting dynamic while shooting. Because we were literally just going through everything that the characters were going through,” he said. “Whenever we knew the next day we’re gonna have a shoot where we hate each other, we literally didn’t talk the night before. If we knew the next day we’re gonna be best friends then we went out for dinner together.”
As they continue to film season 2 of Maxton Hall, the friendship between Hardung and Herbig-Matten continues to grow. Their on-screen chemistry and off-screen bond have endeared them to fans, making them a dynamic duo both in front of and behind the camera.
