General Hospital is a soap that prides itself on telling real stories that resonate with viewers, like the story about Monica’s breast cancer in 1994 or Stone’s death from AIDS in 1995. Very few daytime actors are as real about their mental health struggles as Maurice Benard.
The fan-favorite petitioned the show to give his character, Sonny Corinthos, the same health struggles. The actor opened up about his disease like never before in a candid interview.
Maurice Benard Welcomes Special Guest To Podcast
Acting is Maurice Benard’s first love. He’s been on General Hospital for over three decades. But his second love, besides his family, is spreading mental health awareness. He previously spoke out about focusing on advocacy full-time when he eventually retires from acting.
In the meantime, he works double-duty with a YouTube series about mental health. Maurice Benard welcomes all kinds of guests to State of Mind, including many of his General Hospital co-stars. He had two special guests on the podcast this month. Genie Francis, who plays Laura on the soap, and her husband, film director Jonathan Frakes, joined him for a chat about everything from lasting marriages to mental health.
Genie Francis opened up about her struggle with anxiety and how her husband helps her. “I start to get panicky and cry and feel sick… my subconscious remembers I have an engagement that night before I consciously do,” the actress said.
She added, “When I go down the rabbit hole… he will never leave me alone,” Francis said. “When it lifts, I can finally stand up straight, I can breathe. And I look at him and say, ‘Thank you for not leaving me alone.’ ”
Laura and Sonny don’t interact much on General Hospital these days. But Maurice Benard and Genie Francis have become close friends while working together as the studio in Los Angeles, California, where the soap opera films.
General Hospital Star Opens Up About His Disease
Maurice Benard was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was in his early twenties. He’s shared so much about his battle with mental health over the years, including in his memoir, Nothing General About It. But there’s always more to say.
“When I talk to people about what I’ve gone through, a lot of people might not understand the pain we feel inside. And the thoughts are un-fricking-bearable,” the actor candidly admitted.
Maurice Benard continued, “People don’t understand, I know you felt it, you feel like you can’t go another day. You just feel like there’s no way… And the fact that we do is incredible.”
“You should feel very proud of yourself,” he told Genie Francis. “I can honestly say, I feel proud of myself that I can go through this when it’s that tough.”
The State of Mind vlog with Genie Francis and her husband was filmed in two parts. The first part was released on November 16 and is available on YouTube now. The second part comes out on November 23.
