Why Max Bowden Says EastEnders Is an Acting Marathon
If you think actors just show up, learn a few lines, and cruise through a soap like EastEnders, Max Bowden has news for you. After five years as Ben Mitchell, he didn’t just play out the drama—he lived it. In his own words, EastEnders is "one of the hardest gigs, if not the hardest gig, in acting."
The pressure comes from everywhere. Filming goes at breakneck speed, leaving little room for the careful technique you’d use in theater or movies. Bowden points out that in this world, you have to "strip away your technique and rely on impulse." Forget about multiple takes and methodical rehearsals; it’s about gut reactions and adapting on the fly. That can be terrifying—even for someone as experienced as him.
But the pace isn’t the only hurdle. Bowden’s time as Ben Mitchell was packed with heavy stories: homophobia, sexual assault, addiction, and a brain tumor battle. And these weren’t just mentioned—they were front and center, requiring emotional performances that left Bowden totally spent. He admits the back-to-back traumatic material was sometimes "emotionally exhausting." But what really changed his approach to acting was dropping any fear. After EastEnders, he says, "I no longer approach anything with fear."
Becoming Ben Mitchell: Technique, Trauma, and Transformation
Bowden brought a strong dose of "the method" to his work. For every new script, he looked for ways to lock into Ben’s troubled mindset. He never tried to judge Ben. Instead, he always started with, “What can I associate with? What are these dark points I can respond to with the most truth?” Whether it was Ben’s battles with his dad Phil, or the unforgettable scenes where Ben opens up about surviving rape, Bowden found something real to hold onto. Those performances struck a nerve—many viewers called the rape discussion with Kathy "incredibly difficult to watch" for its rawness.
Sticking with that method acting approach, Bowden explained that playing Ben meant tracking his evolution. The character started as an angry, disturbed young man—at times, violent—but over the years, grew into someone desperate for love and acceptance. Holding onto these changes, Bowden found the job tough but incredibly rewarding. “It’s a brilliant place to hone your skills,” he says, especially for anyone unafraid of the grind.
And yes, even outside work, Bowden kept active. Long before Albert Square, fans knew him from Waterloo Road. During EastEnders, he got to mix his love of boxing into his acting, which he called "so good to combine my two loves." Balancing both worlds might have helped him cope with the emotional toll of the show.
All of this earned Bowden major respect from fans. Viewers praised his "wonderful" acting, and noticed that he "appears more settled" since his departure. Ben Mitchell was also one of the few openly gay characters on prime-time TV, which made Bowden’s performance even more groundbreaking in the eyes of many.
Now, with Bowden gone, there’s a real sense of something missing in both the cast and the show’s LGBTQ+ landscape. Fans are already hoping he might step back into EastEnders at some point. For now, Bowden walks away knowing he’s tackled one of TV’s toughest jobs—and made it his own.
