This Saturday sees the release on CBBC of Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor – the adaptation of Adam Kay’s novel, in which Max Lester plays Toby Tanner, with plans to air it on BBC One over Christmas, and he has previously appeared in this year’s feature film The Fantastic Four: First Steps as a Yancy Street Kid and he was part of the choir for the 2024 Tim Burton-directed film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. In Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions available on Audible, Max plays Ron Weasley in the first three novels – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (released Tuesday 4th November), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – with Frankie Treadaway as Harry Potter and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. For the BBC Radio 4 series Hennikay, Max voices Hennikay, with the series also starring Bill Bailey as Guy Starling, and he voiced Barbabeau in the Nickelodeon animated series Barbapapa. Also working on stage, Max played Gavroche in Les Misérables at the West End’s Sondheim Theatre and he made his professional and West End debut as Young Jacob in Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt. Max chatted to us about recording as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions for Audible, playing Toby Tanner in Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor, voicing Hennikay in the BBC Radio 4 series Hennikay and his stage projects.

You can be heard as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions for Audible across the first three novels, what was it like getting into character as Ron?

Getting into the character of Ron was really fun – we have a lot in common – we are brave when we have to be, try and stand up for what’s right – and both love our food! So in that way, it wasn’t so hard to get into character. The hardest part was nailing the West Country accent, but I had an amazing voice coach, Jan, who helped me and guided me through.

How was it joining the Harry Potter franchise as a hugely-popular and well-loved character and what was it like hearing the news that you’d booked the role?

It’s a great honour to be given the chance to characterise such an iconic character as Ron Weasley in such an iconic franchise. I couldn’t believe it when I found out. My mum sat me down and said she had ‘something to tell me’, and I thought I must be in trouble!

What did you enjoy most about recording for the audiobooks and working on a new Harry Potter project?

Hearing the books come alive in a studio was a magical experience. Just voicing some of those famous ‘Ron’ lines and reciting the spells was amazing. We also had the nicest team from Audible and Pottermore that you could ask for. Meeting Frankie (Treadaway), who plays Harry, and Arabella (Stanton), who plays Hermione was also great – we really bonded. And the snack cupboard at Audible Studios has just about every snack known to man, which made it even better!

On screen, you can be seen playing Toby Tanner in the CBBC adaptation of Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor, is there anything you can tell us about your character and how was your time on set?

I spent five weeks over the summer in Liverpool filming Dexter Procter, and I was on set every day at a school in the Wirral. It was a lot of fun, hanging out with the other actors, especiallly Cian (Eagle-Service), who plays Dexter, and Hugo (McGinn) and Aroop (Shergill), who play Dexter’s friends.

Toby is Dexter’s nemesis – he’d be the cleverest boy in the class if it wasn’t for Dexter and because of that, he hates him and tries all he can to make his life a misery. But Dexter gets his own back. There’s one scene where I get covered head to foot in bandages! Toby was really fun to play.

How familiar were you with Adam Kay’s novel before auditioning and how was it being part of one of his screen adaptations?

I was familiar with the book as we have it at school, but I hadn’t read it. Adam was on set a lot, and he was really lovely.

What was it like seeing the response to the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on Audible on Tuesday 4th November, and what are you looking forward to for the upcoming CBBC release of Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor?

The Audible books have had such a huge global success – reaching listeners all over the world, it feels such a privilege – and a bit surreal – to be a part of it. I also can’t wait to see Dexter Procter air. It’s really funny, and I can’t wait for my friends and family to watch it.

How was it playing a Yancy Street Kid in this year’s feature film The Fantastic Four: First Steps and what was it like on set of a Marvel film?

I’m a Marvel fan and being part of that Marvel world was just insane. I got to be on set with Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bacharach and Natasha Lyonne, which was just crazy!

Can you tell us about voicing Hennikay in the BBC Radio 4 series Hennikay, which starred Bill Bailey as Guy Starling, and how did you find the experience recording the series?

Hennikay was a great experience. The acting is so focused that every emotion has to come out in the voice. Recording in the studio with Bill and all the other really talented actors meant I learnt a lot about audio drama.

What was it like voicing Barbabeau in the Nickelodeon animated series Barbapapa?

Barbabeau was a great character to play. He’s quite artistic and dramatic, which meant I could really have fun with the character.

In the 2024 release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (directed by Tim Burton), you were part of the choir, what was the film like to work on?

That was a lot of fun. We filmed both in a studio and on location for the funeral scene. Which meant I got to meet Catherine O’Hara and Jenna Ortega.

What are some of your favourite memories from playing Gavroche in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in the West End?

Les Mis is my favourite musical and playing Gavroche was just the best experience. My cousin Zac also played Gavroche seven years ago, so it was a proud family moment! I think my grandma came to see practically every show.

How was it making your professional and West End debut in Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt as Young Jacob?

Nerve-racking! I had to climb on a ladder every night to put a star on top of the Christmas tree. But it taught me so much about being in front of an audience. The play is so powerful and moving, the audience were often in tears. I got to meet Tom Stoppard too, which was an honour.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I’ve always loved storytelling – whether it’s films or books – I just like the idea of being in someone else’s shoes. My first professional acting job was an educational video where I had to dance and sing – from then on, I was hooked!

How different do you find voiceover, on-screen acting and theatre work and what do you enjoy about each?

It’s all very different and I enjoy different things about each one. Voiceover is about conveying emotion purely through your voice so it’s all about saying things in a certain way. On-screen, it’s much more subtle than acting in the theatre. Performing live can be nerve-racking but it’s also great to have an audience reaction – and a big cheer when they’ve enjoyed something!

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love to watch films and boxsets. I play the piano and I love to skateboard. And I support the mighty Arsenal!

Do you have any projects coming up that you can share and what are you hoping the next year brings for your career?

I’ve been so lucky to have had a really busy year. The third Harry Potter book will be out in January 2026 and there’s another episode of Dexter Procter which will air next year too. I just hope to keep working and challenging myself as an actor, taking on projects which will help me grow and work with amazing teams. And try and keep up with my schoolwork!

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