Max Hawkyard is a force of nature disguised as a chill mom who “doesn’t consider herself an artist” - which is hilarious, considering she’s starred in a short film, been a killer casting director and voice actor, helped shape our social media presence, and has generally been indispensable to Hardly Artists.

She auditioned for A Talk of Shame, fully expecting nothing to come of it, and instead landed the lead role. Her dry humor, grounded performance, and one particularly chaotic couch scene (featuring emergency line-memorization hand gestures from her scene partner Gabe Mendoza) made her an instant standout. She’s since taken on casting duties for other projects, bringing her eye for character and natural intuition to every production.

Max originally hails from Ukiah, with a few detours through Chico, Murrieta, and Nashville before returning home to raise her daughter Rhiannon close to family (and close to Scott Spears - her brother and fellow board member). Her sharp wit and steady presence have been a huge part of the spirit of Hardly Artists.

When she’s not casting films or making us all laugh in the group chat, Max is probably at the movie theater with her friends, painting, walking, trying new restaurants, attending local events, and telling the story of that one time she met Hayley Williams at a furniture store in Tennessee. She also once witnessed Will Forte at a wedding trying to do the “Hot to Go” dance. She can confirm he didn’t know it at the time. She suspects he knows it now.

Max brings warmth, curiosity, and a sense of humor to everything she does. Whether she's in front of the camera or behind the scenes, she has a way of making everyone around her feel seen, capable, and welcome. She's not just part of Hardly Artists - she helps make it what it is.