GH’s Maurice Benard & Sean Kanan On How One Step Can Change Everything

On this week’s episode of Maurice Benard’s video podcast State Of Mind, Sean Kanan, who formerly played AJ on the ABC soap opera General Hospital and currently plays Deacon on The Bold and the Beautiful, and a former coworker and friend were guests. They discussed their GH glory days, Karate Kid, Cobra Kai, sobriety, and a wide range of other topics.

Sean Kanan: One Step At A Time

In 1987, Kanan made his acting debut in the Werewolf TV series as an unnamed character. By chance, John J. York, who later played Mac Scorpio on General Hospital, played the lead. The rest, as they say, is history. In 1993, Kanan learned of an upcoming audition for an actor to portray his then-GH character, Jason’s brother, AJ Quartermaine, on the daytime drama from a friend, Steve Burton (Harris Michaels, Days of our Lives). As soon as this week’s episode starts, viewers will realize they are in for a special treat because Sean Kanan surprises his longtime friend with two extraordinary one-of-a-kind gifts made by artist Gustavo Vazquez. After that memorable moment, the two started talking about some serious topics.

Benard immediately made a remark about his friend’s appearance. “You have been sober for two years. Of course that’s why you now resemble Rock Hudson. I was going to say Brad Pitt, but you look like a vintage movie star. And I believe that has a lot to do with how you feel about not drinking as well as just not drinking.

Kanan responded without any hesitation. “I concur with you. I’m not sure when it happened, but I eventually found some peace with things. The actor became more open. “I think a lot of the drinking I did was for self-medication. dealing with issues like social anxiety. The issue is that doing so is equivalent to grabbing a tiger by the tail. It partially functions.

The four-time author claimed that his wife Michele was the one who finally said what he needed to hear. “My wife told me, and God bless her for her endurance and love, “I have given this my all. Do not accuse me of choosing the wrong horse, please. Kanan considered her remarks in light of this. “I told myself that I wouldn’t deny her the life she deserves because I couldn’t get my act together. I could really relate to it.

It took time for things to change, but as soon as he moved in the right direction, his life started to become more open. He described how it felt at the time: “It was like the clouds parted because once I stopped drinking, it was like the Universe opened up to me.” “It was absurd. I recall how difficult 2020 was for so many people as a result of the pandemic. I had only recently given up drinking for a few months.

The subsequent events were astounding. “My 2020 was working on back-to-back Bruce Willis films. That year was amazing. Cobra Kai is what I ultimately did. I received a call back,” said Kanan. However, the information kept coming.The Bold and the Beautiful was calling the capper back for a second appearance. The year was incredible, he said. If I had not changed and made that decision about my life, none of that would have occurred.

Just Two Guys Having A Conversation

Their friendship of almost 30 years and the fact that both men have recovered from their own struggles in later life with wisdom to impart make this episode beautiful and a gift. If you have a pen and paper handy, you might want to jot down some of the wonderful affirmations that Benard and Kanan shared as they talked about everything from Kanan’s early life in Cleveland, Ohio, to his move to Western Pennsylvania and growing up close to an Amish community, to his journey toward mental health.

Kanan discussed his worries about portraying one-dimensional characters like AJ on General Hospital and Mike Barnes in Karate Kid III, as well as his experiences working with actors like Ricky Martin (ex-Miguel), Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda), and Antonio Sabato Jr. (ex-Jagger) on General Hospital and Ralph Macchio, Bill Zapka, and Yuji Okumoto on Cobra Kai. He also discussed how writing has improved him as a person. The two talked about the actor’s extensive world travels since then, including the fact that Benard’s daughter, Heather, went to Italy for Kanan and his wife’s wedding in 2012 and hasn’t stopped talking about it since. Take a seat, grab your favorite beverage, a notepad, and a pen, and watch another fantastic episode of State Of Mind. View the complete episode here.

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