If you’ve spent any time on Netflix lately, you probably have a love-hate relationship with Maxine Baker. She’s loud. She’s fast-talking. She’s... a lot. But behind the high-energy whirlwind of MANG is Sara Waisglass, the Max Ginny and Georgia actor who has been working in the industry longer than most of her fans have been alive.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how many people think she just appeared out of nowhere. Or worse, that she’s exactly like Max in real life.
She isn't. Not even close, really.
While Maxine is out there sucking all the oxygen out of the room in Wellsbury, Waisglass is actually a deeply intentional, screenwriting-degree-holding Canadian who has been navigating the "biz" since she was six years old.
The "Half-Nepo Baby" Reality
There’s this buzzword that gets thrown around a lot: nepo baby.
Sara Waisglass actually addressed this herself recently, calling herself a "half-nepo baby." Her mom was a commercial producer. That’s how she got her start—not through some massive Hollywood dynasty, but through the world of Canadian commercials.
She wasn't handed a Netflix starring role on a silver platter.
Basically, she did the work. She spent years on the set of Overruled! and then became a staple of Canadian royalty: Degrassi. If you grew up in the 2010s, you knew her as Frankie Hollingsworth. By the time she landed the role of Max, she was already a veteran.
Why the "Annoying" Label for Max is Actually High Praise
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. A lot of people find Max annoying.
The Twitter (or X, whatever) threads are endless. "Max is so self-centered." "Max doesn't listen."
But here’s the thing: that is exactly why Sara Waisglass is a powerhouse.
Playing a character who is "too much" without making them a caricature is a tightrope walk. Waisglass has mentioned in interviews that Max is basically her—if she had ten cups of coffee and zero anxiety. It takes a massive amount of technical skill to deliver those mile-a-minute monologues.
Did you know she auditioned eight times for this part?
The casting directors didn't just want someone loud. They wanted someone who could show the deep-seated insecurity under the neon outfits. In Season 3, we saw that wall finally crack. While Ginny and Georgia were dealing with murder trials and literal life-and-death stakes, Max was dealing with a different kind of trauma: being the "forgotten" friend.
The Season 3 Shift and the "Iced Out" Theory
If you’ve finished the latest episodes, you know things got dark for Max.
For the first two seasons, she was the glue. In Season 3, she became the odd one out. Fans on Reddit have been losing their minds over how Ginny and the rest of the MANG group treated her.
Some call it "karma" for how she acted in Season 2. Others see it as a brutal depiction of how friend groups "evolve" (read: get mean) as they get older.
Waisglass herself has been vocal about this shift. She’s called it "triggering" to play.
Imagine being 27 years old—which Sara is—and having to tap back into that 15-year-old feeling of being told you’re "too much." It’s a specific kind of pain. She’s pointed out that while Max makes dumb mistakes, she’s often the only one in the group being honest about how she feels.
- The Marcus Factor: Max spent Season 3 terrified for her twin.
- The Parent Trap: She finally grew up enough to tell her parents about Marcus's drinking, even if it meant "ruining" her big musical night.
- The Loneliness: She was basically the only person looking out for everyone else while her own support system crumbled.
Life Beyond Wellsbury: The Screenwriter and Director
Sara isn’t just waiting for the phone to ring for Ginny & Georgia Season 4.
She actually graduated from York University with a degree in screenwriting. She’s a writer. She’s a poet. She plays the piano to de-stress.
She’s also been branching out into indie films like Suze, playing characters that are the polar opposite of the bubbly Maxine Baker. It’s a deliberate move. She’s mentioned that while she loves Canada, she has her sights set on Hollywood—not just as an actor, but as a director.
She wants to be the one calling the shots.
Given her "credo" of gratitude and kindness, she’s probably one of the few people in the industry actually trying to keep set morale high. She once said that energy on set is contagious, and she makes it her job to make sure everyone is having a good time.
Compare that to the high-drama chaos of the Baker household.
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What’s Next for the Max Ginny and Georgia Actor?
With Season 4 on the horizon, the big question is whether Max will find her own tribe or keep trying to fit into a version of MANG that doesn't exist anymore.
If you want to support Sara Waisglass beyond the Netflix algorithm, here is what you can actually do:
- Watch her indie work: Check out Suze or Tainted. It shows a range you won't see in Wellsbury.
- Follow her writing: She often shares snippets of her thoughts and poetry on social media. It's a lot more "human" than the "Max" persona.
- Re-watch Season 3 with a lens on mental health: Look at the scenes where Max is flicking the lights or spiraling. It’s a subtle performance of anxiety that most people miss because they’re too busy being "annoyed" by her volume.
The reality is that Sara Waisglass is one of the most underrated talents in the current Netflix roster. She’s a writer playing a talker, a homebody playing a socialite, and a veteran playing a kid.
Next time Max Baker starts screaming on your screen, just remember: that’s a professional at work.
Actionable Insight: If you're a creator or aspiring actor, look into Sara's interviews about her audition process. She famously "sat straight up in bed" and realized she had to give Max a specific kind of vulnerability to make her work. Studying her "fast-talk" technique is a masterclass in breath control and comedic timing.