Once again, Maurice Benard’s State of Mind pulls from the soap world for another chat that dives deep into mental health and the acting world. This time, it was Chad Duell (Michael Corinthos, General Hospital) in the hot seat. They started off with Maurice talking about how he doesn’t really do interviews. Duell acknowledged he’s probably upset a bunch of reporters in the soap world by avoiding that. So, it sounds like Maurice got a major coup with this chat. Let’s talk some highlights.
Maurice Benard’s State of Mind On Adoption And Reconnection
As usual, Benard started the conversation by asking for some background information about his upbringing. During this part, Benard got a revelation when he learned Duell has a sister that was given up for adoption, and the siblings are close today. Benard wanted to know what that was like, which Duell said was a bit strange.
Duell explained he was in his 20’s when he the two connected. He described it as a random pull that made him want to get to know her. Apparently, she and their mother had been in contact almost all along, which we found interesting. Duell said it was like meeting a stranger, yet not really. The thing that was crazy to him was that, despite not being raised with their mother, his sister has a lot of characteristics that are similar.
Maurice Benard’s State of Mind On Anxiety And GH
Again, Maurice Benard’s State of Mind is a show with a mission: mental health awareness. So, the talk quickly turned to the anxiety Duell suffers from. He blames a lot of it on a lack of confidence and caring too much about what other people think. Which he pointed out is not uncommon in the arts. And we’re reminded of Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) judging a competition show once. She said something that stuck with us over the years: Never underestimate the ego and insecurity of an artist.
This all led to talking about when Duell joined GH. He admitted to not being a very nice guy at the time and gave Duell a lot of credit for being able to handle it. While things did start off on shaky ground, it’s clear the pair is very close now and enjoy working together.
Apparently, the actor originally auditioned for another role, which funny enough, would have been a love interest for his on-screen sister. When all the auditions were over, he had mixed emotions. There was excitement at getting the job, but also a lot of pressure and anxiety about actually doing the job. He still to this day can’t watch those early scenes, because his first day was so nerve-wracking, he sweated through several shirts and nearly got sick. This extended to some court scenes where the actor was unsure how he was going to get through it, as he could barely speak.
Maurice Benard’s State of Mind Deals With The Elephant In The Room
Finally, Maurice Benard’s State of Mind doesn’t really shy away from tough topics. So, to finish things off, they got to the part of the conversation Benard called the Elephant in the room. Which, of course, was the breakup between him and Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra, The Young and the Restless). Benard was willing to back off if Duell didn’t want to speak of it, but he did mention that he loves both Duell and Hope. Benard even mentioned how he does sometimes still messages with her and how great he thinks it is that the former couple still is on good terms.
Duell did agree to speak of it a bit, but it was in very vague terms. He cited wanting to respect Hope, which we took to mean privacy between them. All he’d really say was that it was a mutual agreement and that it’s not what people think. He also added wanting the best for each other. So, if fans were hoping to get definitive answers here, they’ll be disappointed.
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