South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Daytime star Benard shares ‘State of Mind’ to help others
Maurice Benard is doing well. He has had front-burner stories as Sonny Corinthos on ABC’s “General Hospital” for more than 30 years. His family is good: Daughter Cailey is pregnant, and son Joshua’s acting career is on the rise. The daytime Emmy-winning actor also recently hit a milestone when his YouTube series, “State of Mind with Maurice Benard,” reached 100,000 followers.
But Benard’s current outlook is particularly remarkable because things got dark during the early days of the pandemic. The actor has written about his struggles with anxiety and bipolar disorder. Lockdown was difficult and anxiety-inducing, and not having the routine of going to work depressed him. He admits he contemplated taking his life but sees that “horrible period” as a turning point.
“I looked in the mirror and said, ‘This cannot happen again.’ I think that scared me so much that I had to figure out how to fix myself,” he says.
Benard says he now has the tools to catch himself when negative thoughts creep in and strategies to bring himself out. Some days are harder than others but overall, he’s more Zen and social with others. By helping others, he realizes he’s helping himself, too. “My psychiatrist said, ‘ “State of Mind” has been like your therapy,’ and it’s true. It has,” he says.
Benard posts a new “State of Mind” episode on Sundays featuring a one-on-one conversation with actors, doctors and others where he uses honesty, humility and humor to approach personal struggles and coping mechanisms.
“General Hospital” fans will appreciate that he has taped episodes with current and past cast members, but he also speaks with other daytime stars such as Eric Braeden and Melissa Claire Egan of “The Young and the Restless,” as well as film actors such as Frank Grillo and producer Todd Fisher, the son of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
Former co-star Sarah
Joy Brown, who originated the role of Carly on “General Hospital,” says Benard “seems happier now than I’ve ever seen him.”
Brown recently appeared on “State of Mind” and admits to feeling nervous beforehand because she and Benard hadn’t seen each other in years. As they caught up, she revealed she was grieving the death of her father. “Saying this thing out loud, sharing the pain, and the experience with Maurice allowed others to see me in perhaps my most vulnerable moment,” she says.
Brown has since received “hundreds” of messages from people sharing their own stories of loss. “The pain of losing my father isn’t gone, but it’s better today than before we taped our episode.”
Another former co-star, Tyler Christopher, also was surprised by how cathartic the experience was.
“Never have I been so open and sincere regarding my struggles,” Christopher says. “The fact that I was able to do it with a friend like Maurice makes it only more memorable. I don’t regret a single moment. ... He treated me with respect and never revealed an ounce of judgment. For that I am infinitely grateful.”
Benard has been speaking openly about mental illness for decades. Before Selena Gomez, Naomi Osaka or Simone Biles set public boundaries for their mental health, Benard appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004 to talk about his struggles.
He also published a memoir in 2020 called “Nothing General About
It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital,” which became a New York Times bestseller.
Benard, who does his own promos and edits for the show, enlists his wife, Paula, a talent manager and agent, to help with bookings. He wants to speak with athletes, he’d love to hire someone to help with production, and he wants to take the show outdoors for man on the street-style interviews with everyday people.