Maxton Hall: The World Between Us has quickly become a must-watch for fans of swoony rival-to-lover teen dramas, and a big part of the show’s appeal is the magnetic push-pull between its leads. The German series follows scholarship student Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) and privileged classmate James Beaufort (Damian Hardung) as a fraught secret turns their lives—and feelings—upside down. As the series’ fiery arguments and stolen glances fuel fandom fervor, so do questions about whether that crackling chemistry carries over off-screen.
Herbig-Matten and Hardung’s dynamic has inspired intense shipping from viewers, but the actors are drawing a firm line between fiction and reality. In recent interviews, they’ve candidly unpacked how their on-screen spark came together, what it’s like to weather constant speculation, and why trust—not romance—is the foundation of their collaboration.
Harriet Herbig-Matten Shuts Down Dating Rumors
Setting the record straight once and for all, Herbig-Matten addressed the ongoing rumors about a real-life romance with her co-star during a January 2025 episode of the “G Spot” podcast. “We are not together and we weren’t together either,” she said, making it clear that fans are seeing Ruby and James—not Harriet and Damian—when they watch the series.
Herbig-Matten also reflected on the emotional toll of the public’s assumptions, explaining how the volume of commentary blurred boundaries in the beginning. “When you always read these comments about how we are so together, I started to get pressure that it had to be true,” she shared. “So I was like, ‘Only when that is the case, I will do people justice and then they will be happy.’ I thought that for a long time. Then over the course of time, I had to learn to distance myself from this version.”
That distance became essential as the show’s profile rose. “There’s Ruby and there’s Harriet who is promoted,” she added. “So you know that this person who is me and has my name is not the real Harriet that I am in my private life. I first had to learn that this doesn’t correspond to reality and that was difficult.”
How Their On-Screen Chemistry Came Together
Their chemistry didn’t click immediately. Looking back at the casting process, Herbig-Matten told Us Weekly in June 2024 that her first impression of Hardung was less than swoony. “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,” she recalled. “So we had chemistry, we just didn’t see that.”
That delayed spark ultimately paid off, laying the groundwork for Ruby and James’ combustible dynamic. It also underscores what both actors emphasize: their connection is rooted in craft. Rather than blurring lines between roles and reality, they approached their characters with a shared focus and clear boundaries—a professional foundation that made the most charged scenes possible.
Navigating Fame’s “24/7 Exposure”
With the show’s breakout success has come intense scrutiny. Hardung referred to the spotlight around their characters as “24/7 exposure,” a nod to the nonstop attention that follows a hit romance series and the way online discourse can amplify what happens on screen.
Herbig-Matten echoed that sentiment by describing the learning curve of being perceived through a character-first lens. The parasocial aspect—fans responding to Ruby and James as if their relationship exists off-camera—was something she had to actively push back against. Ultimately, the actor says she has learned to maintain a healthy separation while still honoring the audience’s investment in the story.
Trusting Each Other In The Most Intense Scenes
Despite the drama viewers see, working together has been smooth and collaborative. “We have a similar way to go into character and we kind of pushed it to the limit in some scenes,” Herbig-Matten said of her partnership with Hardung. “For example, the staircase scene when we screamed at each other. It was really intense and we just helped each other and we trusted each other. It was really important to trust your partner.”
That trust shows in the series’ most emotionally volatile confrontations, where the actors lean into discomfort without losing sight of boundaries. Their approach—intense preparation, mutual support, and a commitment to the story—helps explain why the relationship feels so alive while remaining purely professional off set.
Adapted from Mona Kasten’s bestselling novels, Maxton Hall thrives on classic romantic tropes with a modern sheen: privilege versus perseverance, secrets colliding with ambition, and the kind of slow-burn attraction that keeps viewers glued to the next episode. But as Herbig-Matten and Hardung make clear, what fans are responding to is a carefully calibrated performance, not an off-screen romance.
For a fandom eager to dissect every glance and gesture, the stars’ clarity may not quell all speculation, but it does reframe the conversation. The takeaway is simple: their chemistry is the product of craft—and they’re proud of that work. As chatter about the show’s future continues, including questions about another season, the leads are keeping the focus on the characters they bring to life and the trust that powers their collaboration.
