Three-time Emmy award-winning actor Maurice Benard chatted about the 60th anniversary of “General Hospital,” as well as his work in the field of mental health and wellness.
Aside from being an internationally-recognized actor, Benard is a New York Times best-selling author, podcast host (“State of Mind”), as well as mental health and wellness advocate.
Henry David Thoreau once said: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Maurice Benard is a man and actor that exemplifies this wise quote by the legendary philosopher and poet.
Maurice Benard: The actor and storyteller
The hit ABC daytime drama “General Hospital” just celebrated its 60th anniversary on April 1. “That feels fantastic, and it has allowed me to have a job for 30 years,” he exclaimed.
He is known for his portrayal of his iconic character, Sonny Corinthos, for which he has won three Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.” “Sonny is such a great character, he is bipolar like I am so it’s like art imitating life a lot of the time,” he said.
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy on the show, Benard said, “I’ve been doing it for so long to the point where I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve done it so many times. It may be tiring but it’s not impossible. Your brain is a muscle. In the beginning, I was not as good, now I’ve gotten better.”
Favorite storyline on ‘General Hospital’
Benard claimed the Alzheimer’s storyline as his all-time favorite storyline that he has ever done on the show, which afforded him the privilege to work with Max Gail as his onscreen father, Mike.
“That storyline was so close to my heart,” he admitted. “A script like that comes to you once in a lifetime, and we won four Emmy Awards out of it.”
Benard praised his luminous acting partner Cynthia Watros, who plays his love interest Nina Reeves, for being “a gem of an actress” and “very giving.”
Maurice Benard: The mental health and wellness advocate
Benard is making a difference in people’s lives thanks to his “State of Mind” podcast. Mental health hits home to Benard because he has been living with bipolar and anxiety his entire life.
“‘State of Mind’ is probably the most proud thing I’ve ever done because it started from scratch and just by interacting with people,” he said. “I have different guests every week from every walk of life. I am very proud to help people with mental illness.”
Maurice Benard: ‘State of Mind’ podcast host
Whether people are struggling with anxiety, bipolar, or depression, or simply want to cultivate a more positive mindset, Benard’s weekly “State of Mind” podcast is a resource that can help people explore and improve their mental health and wellness. “I edit it myself and I do everything,” he admitted.
“It has a certain vibe to it, and I wanted ‘State of Mind’ to be a peephole where you can see and hear other people’s conversations, and it has become that and I am so happy it is. I’ve had police offers, movie stars, boxers, and so many others. I just love talking to people, I don’t mind who they are,” he elaborated.
“This Sunday, I will be featuring the ‘American Idol’ contestant that has autism,” he foreshadowed.
“‘State of Mind’ is truly the viewers’ success as much as it is my success. I didn’t know it was going out to be this big. I just wanted to keep doing it, improving it, and helping people. To be able to be on shows talking about it on this magnitude was unexpected, and that’s because of the audience,” he added.
Maurice Benard: The bestselling author
As a New York Times bestselling author for his book “Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital,” Maurice has inspired countless individuals thanks to his openness, honesty and bravery.
“The commercial success of that book was cool,” he said. “I give a lot of credit to my co-writer Susan Black who made me sound a lot more intelligent than I am. The book came at the worst times of my life so it was a bittersweet situation. It was a silver lining.”
“Nothing General About It” by Maurice Benard is available on Amazon by clicking here.
Favorite mottos to live by
On his favorite mottos to live by, Benard shared, “My dad used to say: ‘what is going to happen, is going to happen’.”
Benard shared that he enjoys doing Coastal Entertainment fan events, whether they are in-person or virtual via Zoom. “I love doing these fan events, even though they may be stressful,” he said. “I think I am in a different place now. If I can do ‘The View,’ I think I can do anything.”
Another proud recent moment for Benard was his emotional reunion with his daughter, Heather (who is in the Air Force), on the “Tamron Hall Show,” who surprised him during his TV appearance. “That was so cool,” Benard admitted.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Benard said, “Nothing General About It, Part II.”
The digital age
On being an actor and storyteller in the digital age, Benard said, “I was late into the game. After I got a phone, once I got into social media, I knew it was for me and I loved it.”
Future goals
Regarding his future goals, Benard said, “My plans for the future are to watch my son and his career grow. I also want to grow ‘State of Mind’ as big as its supposed to be.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Benard said, “Success means having peace in myself.”
Gratitude for the fans
For his dedicated “General Hospital” fans, Benard said, “To the fans that have been with me from the beginning from ‘All My Children’ to where I am now on ‘General Hospital,’ thank you. The fans have been 150 percent loyal, that’s why I get choked up when I talk about it. They have always been right there with me, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
To learn more about Maurice Benard, follow him on Instagram and check out his official website.
