Uncle Max

Maxwell D. Baxter (Uncle Max) is a recurring supporting character in Genie in the House. He is Philip Norton's boss, and the founder of the gadget company Baxter Industries. He is a prominent figure in the lives of the Norton girls, based on how they affectionately refer to him as their uncle. He is portrayed by Angus Kennedy.

Biography
Little is known about the Baxter family, or Max's past, other than that he attended North Southport High in the 1980s. In his youth, he was good friends with Phillip, as well as Marjorie, who he went on to marry.

He gives very few details on how he found school throughout the series, often falsely claiming that he was a model student. It is said, however, that he struggled with maths, and was picked last in team sports. He was also seen showing great disrespect towards his teacher, Mr. Preston, indicating that he may have been a class clown.

In his teenage years, he reprimanded Phillip for wasting his time designing gadgets, though saw it as a prosperous business once talent-spotter Mr. Fender expressed interest in one of Phillip's devices. Though it was him who formed the short-lived band Maximus Bax - in which he performed the vocals - he admitted that he'd only been in it for the money and fame. Through Mr. Fender, Baxter Industries was then founded.

Appearance
Max is most commonly seen wearing a suit and tie, and takes pride in looking his best. He has receding ash-brown hair, dark green eyes and fair skin. He is short in stature and is frequently described by others as being overweight.

Aside from pyjamas, which he wears in 'Maxed Out' and 'House of Ghosts', the only other outfits Max is seen wearing are, a pirate outfit in 'Yo Ho Adil', Adil's turban and pantaloons in 'Super Max', and the titular 'Super Max' costume designed by Emma for a costume party.

Personality
Though Max cares greatly about the Norton family and his wife, Marjorie, there are numerous instances in which his ego, self-importance and arrogance get in the way of this, including breaking up with Marjorie over her distaste for his toupee, and rudely claiming that Phillip is useless when he 'went into town' without telling Max before hand.

He is frequently seen taking more of an interest in money and his business than anything else in his life. This can be seen in most interactions with Phillip, especially when it comes to taking credit for Phillip's designs, and immediately rejecting Phillip's suggestions for product names. His business is always at the forefront of his mind, as is time management, efficiency and potential clients. He is even willing to sack Phillip and replace his with the 'father' in the interest of more efficient designing.

Power is something that Max holds dearly. Within a day of being Adil's master, Max thrusts himself into the position of president of the world, overworks Adil to the point where he exhausts his magic, wishes for Phillip to become a yes-man, and would have done the same with Sophie if Adil hadn't refused. Similarly, fame easily gets to his head, such as when he takes pride in disrespecting beloved actor Morrison Lord, and claims to be a better actor than him, or when he forces Adil to work harder making hot cakes, despite not helping Adil himself.

However, there is a sense of naivety to him as well. Though this side of Max is more infrequently shown than his materialistic and selfish side, he can often be fooled into believing outlandish excuses, such as when he believes that whole of Balamkadaar is part of Phillip's virtual reality game, or when Phillip fools him into thinking that he has turned a model rocket invisible.

Despite this, Max is shown to be a loving part of the Norton's lives, and frequently helps them with whatever problems are going on in their lives.

Trivia

 * He apparently owns a cat
 * He supports City United Football Club
 * In the opening titles of "Return to Balamkadaar Part 3", his actor's name is written incorrectly as 'Augus' Kennedy
 * In "Return to Balamkadaar Part 3", despite it being established in previous episodes that politeness is necessary to working a magic carpet, Max takes flight on one without adding in any politeness forms