State Of Mind with Maurice Benard

You may know Stephen A. Smith best from ESPN’s First Take and Stephen A’s World, but in this first episode he opens up with me on important subjects such as his struggles in school and the loss of his mother. We also talk about his role on General Hospital as Sonny's right hand man, Brick.

Chad Duell, best known as Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, plays my son on television but is also like a son to me in real life. We have a very thoughtful conversation, but what we kept coming back to was that you have to keep doing things that make you uncomfortable. While you may want to avoid it because of anxiety and stress, Chad and I both are proof that, when you continue to push yourself to do those things, you build up your tolerance and it does get easier to do.

This special Mother's Day episode was recorded out on my farm with my goat, Buddy. Please excuse the background of the wind as I share stories about my mother and my wonderful wife, Paula. 

Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis served 537 days in a Japanese prison after he lost consciousness while driving, resulting in a car accident that left two Japanese citizens dead. Japanese authorities denied Ridge access to a translator or legal counsel resulting in a prison sentence that was much longer than if this incident had occurred in the United States. Join me for a phenomenal conversation with Ridge and his best friend Andrew Eubanks, who along with Ridge's wife, Brittany, rallied to get him out of prison in a story that will leave you breathless.  To learn more, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/bringridgehome

This week I'm joined by Carolyn Hennesy. Carolyn is an accomplished actress, NY Times Best Selling Author, Animal Advocate and believe it or not a Flying Trapeze Artist. You may know her best as lawyer Diane Miller on General Hospital, but Carolyn's appeared in recurring roles on hit television shows like True Blood, Dawson's Creek, Cougar Town, Revenge and won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role on the web series The Bay. Carolyn has stared in features films such as Click, Legally Blonde 2 and Terminator 3. As an author Carolyn has penned the popular “Pandora” children’s book series and the New York Times Bestseller “The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli." While we talk a lot today about acting and our first scenes together on General Hospital, Carolyn opened up to me about her father, his death and her achievement of being 21 years sober. We talk about Carolyn's dad, Dale Hennesy, who won an Oscar for Art Direction back in 1967 for Fantastic Voyage.  Note: This episode was shot prior to my father's passing, so his illness is mentioned today.

In this episode of State Of Mind I'm joined by Sharon Lawrence.

In this episode of State Of Mind I'm joined by Castin Marion. Castin and her family have been friends of my family for many years; I've known her since she was a little girl. Years ago something happened to their family that changed their lives forever. Castin has had so much to deal with in her young life and she's hear to talk about that with me today.

In this episode of State Of Mind I'm joined by Réal Andrews. You'll hear a conversation between two friends that have known each other forever and yet there's still things we don't quite know about each other. It's raw, emotional, deep, funny, truthful, as we discuss anxiety, mental health, love, family! Don't forget to pick up Réal Andrews book 'Do You Want It? No Fear, No Limits, No Excuses' 

In this episode of State Of Mind I'm joined by Preston Durnford. Preston is the author of Epic Journal; Owner and Founder of Epic Journey, Inc; and Founder of Fresh Start of California, which is a detox and residential treatment center. My daughter, Cailey, is the Clinical Director at Fresh Start working with Lindsey Centanni, the Chief Operating Offer, who has also been on State Of Mind. Preston and I talk about how he was able to harness the power of journaling to transform his life after battling heroin addiction, losing his father to suicide, and brother to drug overdose.  He says the 'Epic Journal' is not just a writing tool, but an invitation to harness the transformative power of introspection to achieve one's fullest potential. https://theepicjournal.com

You won’t find a more driven, dedicated, and inspirational man than my guy Clark Bartram. And oh, did I mention his guns! Not the deadly kind, I’m talking his arms. You want to feel good, listen to Clark. You won’t regret it!

Mark Teschner has been the Casting Director at General Hospital since 1989 and has won ten Emmy Awards for Casting. Mark has unique ability to communicate with actors, encouraging them to deliver their best performances and he shares insight in his casting of Vanessa Marcil, Steve Burton and Michael Sutton. Maurice and Mark talk about the younger generation's outlet of being able to showcase their talent being on platforms like TikTok and Youtube and shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent.