SCENE CHANGE w/Maxwell Acee Donovan

He may be known for his breakout role in That ‘90s Show and his latest leap into the thriller genre with The Better Sister, but Maxwell Acee Donovan is doing something even more gripping behind the scenes. Alongside his sister Clare, he’s co-founded Nature’s Negotiators, a nonprofit movement created by Gen Z for Gen Z—raising funds and awareness for climate justice in real time, not just someday.

ALLIÉ: Let's start at the very beginning. It's been said—it’s a very good place to start. Uh, when did your career as an actor begin? Maxwell, let's start there. How did you get into this whole business?

MAXWELL: As with most things, it comes back to my sister being very cool and awesome. When we lived in Colorado, she got really into theater, and we lived like, you know, 45 minutes outside of Aspen, which makes our hometown sound a little bougier than it is, but it's very nice.

She had been going to this Theater Aspen summer camp, and one week they had a Hollywood producer come out. He was doing some short films, and I kind of got roped into going because I was the younger brother. I was like, "Sure, I'm not doing anything this week." It was so much fun. They made two short films—my sister was in one, I was in the other. I got to play a skater kid, which was really fun for me. After that, the producer told my sister and my parents, "You should bring her out for a pilot season."

We didn't even really know what that was, but my parents were like, "Well, you know what? We both work from home right now. We might as well." So we came out, we got a manager, and the manager was like, "Max, you're a nine-year-old boy. There are going to be twice as many opportunities for you to get in there. And then we can pull each other through doors.” And I was again like, "Sure, I'm not doing anything." As soon as I got on set and figured out that they had a crafty table—which is just like endless amounts of food—I was sold. I was sucked in immediately.

ALLIÉ: So it was your sister and the endless supply of delicious things to eat. Pretty good combo, right? I mean, who could complain about such a thing? Let's dive in a little deeper here, because you've gone from the laughs of That '90s Show to the layered intensity of The Better Sister. What drew you to this project, and what was it like stepping into such a different kind of role?

MAXWELL: Well, as soon as my team sent me over the audition, they actually attached the first two episodes. I think I got maybe three pages in before I was just immediately hooked—I literally couldn't stop reading it.

Sometimes I try and pace myself, like, "I'll read one and then do the audition," because I don't want to get too attached. But this time I was like, "I have to have this." It's the coolest character—he’s so layered immediately from the very first scene he’s introduced in. And then, as I read down the list of everyone attached to the project, I think my jaw just got closer and closer to the floor. I was just like, "Oh my goodness."

It was definitely an interesting transition. I was on set for '90s Show when I got the original audition, and I had to do one of the Zoom callbacks from my dressing room—right after we did a run-through of the entire show. So there was definitely a little bit of, like, trying to keep everything straight in my mind, and being like, "How do I transition from this to this?" It’s such a different world. But it was a good challenge. It was a lot of fun.

ALLIÉ: As much as you're growing as an actor, Maxwell, you're also growing something powerful off-screen with that sister of yours that you mentioned. Tell me about Nature’s Negotiators. When did it go from an idea to a mission? What sparked it?

MAXWELL: It was always something that was sort of floating around in our minds. My mom is an anthropologist and an archaeologist—that's what she did my entire life in the Southwest. So it was just always sort of there.

When we moved out here and realized, if we're going to continue in this acting world, eventually that could lead to having a voice to affect positive change. We were like, "Alright, we want to be intentional. If that potentially does happen, we want to have something locked and loaded—ready to go—so we can immediately be like, 'Hey, here's our mission.'" We want to do good with whatever platform we get. I think it was really sparked by Season 1 of '90s Show coming out, because I was like, "I want to have something I'm able to talk about, to start putting out there."

We all sat down as our little nuclear family and worked out: "Here are the three things we’re most passionate about. How do we roll that up into one?" We figured the best way to go about it was to be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, so we could be a channel for these other amazing organizations and people already doing great work at the grassroots level. That way, we could affect the most change.

ALLIÉ: Let's get a little deeper here. A lot of people talk about climate change in very broad strokes. But you are focused on immediate and measurable impact. Why was that important to you and to Clare? And what kind of work, specifically, is Nature’s Negotiators actually supporting on the ground?

MAXWELL: Well, it was really fun again to do this with my entire family, because we’re two different generations and we’re able to have these different perspectives. My sister and I feel it’s hard not to think these problems are insurmountable, just because of how much we see about it in the news, on social media—everywhere. It’s such a big thing to wrap your mind around.

Then my mom and dad had just gone to an exhibit about the Jane Goodall Institute. They're amazing. They go in at the local level and help support the community while bringing everyone possible to the table to find a sustainable solution. We were basically like, that’s the way to actually make change. You can see the immediate impact. When you approach it in bite-sized chunks, you start chipping away at the larger thing. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem as insurmountable anymore. We were lucky enough to partner with the Jane Goodall Institute—they’re our official partners. It's been really fun. We've gotten to meet Jane a couple times, and it’s such a pinch me thing—just to be in a room with her and her entire team.

As our secondary mission, we wanted to sponsor roundtables—to bring as many disparate parties to the table as possible so a solution could be reached. Eventually, we’re hoping to start implementing some conservation easements. For those who don’t know, that’s when you take a tract of land and put it into an easement—it’s forever protected. But it also provides a benefit to the landowner in the form of a tax break. It fits with our idea that everything can be done in a way that benefits everybody and still benefits the environment.

ALLIÉ: That’s great. Wins all around, right? That’s the goal. It’s the way forward. So let’s talk more about generations here. You’re speaking directly to the Gen Z audience—arguably the most vocal, certainly the most digitally savvy, and maybe the most change-hungry generation yet. So, the question now is: How do you see storytelling and social media playing a role in climate action that really sticks?

MAXWELL: I think it’s such a unique world that we live in—so much information is available at the press of a button, literally. It’s pretty inspiring to see how many people are vocal on social media and with the art they create and all these incredible things. There’s a level of disconnectedness online, but there’s also a feeling that everything’s personal. It’s like, I see a video of this person talking about it, and I feel like I know them. I feel like I can hear them say it and think, “That makes sense. I can relate that to something in my life.”

Again, having these little bite-sized chunks—I see that all the time. These little messages of hope all around. That’s one of Jane Goodall’s biggest things—spreading a message of hope. That’s what we’re trying to do—to Gen Z and even younger, Gen Alpha. Just showing, “Hey, we’re all in this together. We’re all connected, and we have a way forward.” Let’s find easy things that everyone can do to affect change. It doesn’t have to be huge. If you’re recycling, you’re already doing something. If you’re just wearing reef-safe sunscreen into the ocean—these little things, once they become habit, are pretty exciting. The easiest way to spread that is through social media. And storytelling—it’s always been such a great tool. It’s forever been used to benefit and spread good messages, and I’m excited to see that trend continue.

ALLIÉ: Yeah, absolutely. And I love how you say—when it becomes personal, it becomes relatable. It’s just using our stories to communicate and connect.
You’ve got a growing platform and this growing purpose. When these two collide, I imagine it can feel like a lot to carry. So, what is it that keeps you grounded? What keeps you going when it feels heavy?

MAXWELL: I feel like I’ve got to once again give flowers to my family. They’re pretty amazing. I’m super close with my entire family. I mean, I’m Greek and I have like 40 cousins. I just went out to Colorado in April and spent time with a bunch of them. I feel very lucky to have that familial connection.

I also feel really lucky because I enjoy doing what I do. So even when it becomes heavy, I take a step back and think, “Okay, but this is still so cool.” Recently, I’ve been learning how to work on old cars, with the goal of eventually converting them to electric or hybrid—without damaging the cool factor of these cars. It’s been really fun. I was tinkering on a car the other day, and I couldn’t get this thing to work. Then I took a step back and thought, “Okay, this is so cool. I’m working on an old car.” I feel like that’s the perspective my family has given me—even when things are stressful or overwhelming, it’s still a really amazing thing. It’s such a fun opportunity to get to be doing.

ALLIÉ: It sounds like you’ve got this glow of gratitude about you. Perhaps that’s what helps ground you—being thankful, being excited about what you’re doing. When you have that lens to look through, it probably keeps things clear for you, yeah?

MAXWELL: I hope so. I try to be grateful. It’s pretty fun stuff.

ALLIÉ: One more thing, my friend. Let’s say someone is reading this, watching this, or listening to this conversation, and they’re feeling overwhelmed—unsure where to start when it comes to creating the change they want to see in the world. What’s the one thing you’d tell them—not as an actor, not as an activist—but just as Maxwell?

MAXWELL: I mean, I think at its core, it’s just that every single person can truly make a difference. Sometimes it’s hard to picture that, because there are so many people in any given area, but change really does start at the individual level. If people want to make a change in any kind of way, it starts with doing something yourself.

It can be as simple as sorting your cans into recycling or switching your brand of coffee. I don’t know—it can be pretty simple and still make a big impact. My sister has been trying to go vegetarian twice a week, and that saves—I don’t know the exact statistic—but X amount of water per week.

These little lifestyle changes don’t really have to affect your day-to-day much, but they’re enough to make you realize, “Hey, I’ve actually made an impact, and I don’t even have to think about it. I’m just doing it.” 

ALLIÉ: I like where you’re taking us with that—change can be incremental. It doesn’t have to be one huge step. It can be little baby steps. I like how you said too—just change your coffee. These small things. These little life hacks. You don’t have to completely redirect your life.

MAXWELL: Well, because then it can become such a tough thing. It becomes, again, that insurmountable thing: “Oh, okay, well if I have to do all of this, I don’t have the time. I’m busy. I’m working. I’m going to school. Yada yada yada.”

Yes, you can do that kind of lifestyle change—and some people have. It’s incredible to see. But it’s not necessary. Everyone can do little things—things they’re able and excited to do. And that makes a huge impact. If enough people do it, then suddenly, you start to see some real major change. ∎

Find Maxwell on Instagram:
@madmaxdonovan
Follow Nature’s Negotiators:
@naturesnegotiators