State Of Mind with Maurice Benard

On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with rising actress Bluesy Burke for an honest conversation about anxiety, acting, and growing up in the spotlight.

Bluesy opens up about moving across the country during COVID, leaving behind close friendships, and stepping into the unknown at a young age. She shares what it was like booking General Hospital, walking into high-pressure auditions, and navigating nerves on s...

Chauntal Lewis joins State of Mind again. This time, for a deeply honest conversation about surviving domestic violence, living with anxiety, and finding a way forward after trauma. In this powerful episode, she opens up about abuse, love addiction, grief, losing her hand in a devastating car accident, and the work it took to reclaim her life and sense of self.

This is a raw, emotional, and ultimately hopeful conversation about wha...

Maurice Benard sits down with acclaimed actor Clancy Brown for a wide-ranging conversation about anxiety, mental health, acting, family, grief, and resilience. Known for unforgettable roles in The Shawshank Redemption, John Wick, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Penguin, Clancy opens up about the nerves that have followed him throughout his career, how he learned to work through them, and the personal experiences that shaped him long...

In this special birthday episode of State of Mind, the tables turn as Dominic Zamprogna (Dante on General Hospital) takes over the host chair to interview Maurice Benard.

Maurice opens up about his life, career, and lifelong journey with bipolar disorder—from his early days chasing acting dreams, to his first manic episode and time in a mental institution, to becoming one of daytime television’s most iconic actors as Sonny Corintho...

In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actress Kelly Thiebaud for a raw, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about what it really means to start over.

Kelly opens up about growing up in a small town, being a sports kid turned model, and how the modeling world messed with her relationship to food, her body, and her self-worth. She shares what it was like moving to Los Angeles at 17, experiencing an ear...

In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actor, musician, and longtime friend Jonathan Jackson for a deeply personal conversation about what happens when the mind feels steady but the body doesn’t. They talk about preparation, performance, and those moments when anxiety shows up physically even when you “should” be fine.

Jonathan shares how faith shapes his work and his life, why he resists the word “performi...

Actor, writer, director, and voice actor Michael Easton joins Maurice Benard on State of Mind for a rare, deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to heal.

Michael shares what it was like growing up between Belfast and the U.S., moving constantly, and carrying the hidden weight of childhood fear and instability into adulthood. From there, the conversation opens up into the stuff most people avoid: anxiety, grief, loss,...

On this State of Mind, Maurice sits down with Art Stratton Brown, a remarkable 101-year-old World War II veteran (and Josh Swickard’s grandfather) whose energy, clarity, and gratitude feel almost impossible to believe. Art takes us from a tough Chicago childhood and early leadership instincts to combat training, frontline battles in Italy and France, and the daily realities of war — fear, loss, survival, and the moments that never ...

Josh Swickard—an actor who’s starred in films that have reached #1 on Netflix and on General Hospital—opens up about anxiety attacks he didn’t understand until they hit him, and how breathwork helped him reframe the symptoms and take away the fear. The conversation moves through anger, calm, parenting, and faith, landing on a powerful idea: don’t waste the pain—use it to help others keep moving forward.

Video Versions of State of...

Maurice Bernard sits down with wrestler Medina Ali for a powerful conversation about discipline, mental strength, and resilience. Medina shares how her background in combat sports shaped her mindset, and what happened when she was unexpectedly contacted by WWE and thrown into the world of professional wrestling without prior experience. They talk about bullying, culture, family expectations, fear, and why physical movement has alwa...

Retired LAPD veteran Manny Santoo rarely does interviews, but on State of Mind he opens up about a life shaped by the streets—air support helicopters, high-risk nights during the LA Riots, and what police work teaches you about fear, adrenaline, and restraint. The conversation turns deeply personal as Manny shares the story of his daughter Bella, who is autistic and mostly nonverbal, and how his family learned to communicate throug...

Enjoy this conversation originally published in 2022 featuring Emmy-winning actor Michael E. Knight. In this episode reflects on decades of friendship with Maurice Benard, their early years on All My Children, and the moments that shaped them on and off screen. In a conversation filled with laughter and honesty, Michael opens up about living with OCD and dysthymia, the role therapy and medication have played in his life, and why as...

For the first time publicly, Chris McKenna opens up about his bipolar diagnosis and the mental health journey that reshaped his life and career. In this deeply personal episode of State of Mind, the General Hospital actor tells Maurice Benard what it was like living undiagnosed for decades, the breaking point he faced during the pandemic, and the treatment that helped him find stability and clarity.

After breaking on State of Mind,...

In this episode of State of Mind, legendary broadcaster and comedian Fritz Coleman reflects on retirement, identity, and the fear of losing purpose after a long career. He shares how staying engaged through creativity, sobriety, and meaningful work helped him avoid the emotional collapse he once witnessed in his own family. It is an honest conversation about aging, self-doubt, and what it really takes to stay alive inside.

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On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice sits down with Emmy-winning actress Sharon Case—known to millions as Sharon Newman from The Young and the Restless—for an unfiltered conversation about mental health, acting, and the real emotional truth behind portraying bipolar disorder on screen. Sharon opens up about her early life, unexpected path into daytime TV, her work with complex storylines, and the rising awareness around depres...

In this State of Mind conversation, Maurice sits down with young actress Scarlet Spears, who plays Young Glinda in Wicked: For Good and portrays Donna Corinthos on General Hospital. What begins as a light conversation about acting, family, and childhood opens into an unexpected moment about fear, loneliness, and mental health that only an eight year old could express with such clarity. Scarlet’s insight, humor, and kindness make th...

Maurice welcomes longtime TV journalist Dorothy Lucey for a deep, vulnerable conversation about crippling nerves, panic attacks, and the unseen emotional cost of decades in the spotlight. Dorothy opens up about faith, anxiety, marriage, grief, joy, and the daily work of stopping a spiral before it starts. Together they explore how trauma sits in the body, how peace is rebuilt step by step, and why none of us are ever as “normal” as...

Actor and author Adrian Alvarado sits down with Maurice to talk about his memoir Flipping My Script—a powerful story of losing his mother at fourteen, growing up without a father, and fighting through generational trauma to rebuild his identity. Adrian opens up about domestic violence, grief, art as therapy, and the long road toward healing and forgiveness. This is a raw, honest conversation that will stay with anyone who has ever ...

Actress Raven Bowens joins Maurice for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation about resilience, mental health, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Raven opens up about a childhood spent moving from city to city, the grief of losing her first love, and the struggle to find stability while chasing her dream. She also shares how her acting journey led her to Days of Our Lives and why her greatest fulfillment now comes from rebu...