Maurice Benard

If you’re an All My Children fan, you might be a little disappointed as there’s little said about Benard’s time on that show, mostly just a few mentions of people he met there (it implies he met Cameron Mathison during his time on AMC but actually Mathison didn’t arrive until long after Benard left) and that was it, which I found somewhat unsatisfying. I would have liked to have heard about working for the legendary Agnes Nixon, what he thought of the storylines, and also since it was one of his first acting jobs it would have been interesting to see this guy we presently know as one of daytime’s finest actors finding his footing when acting was still so new to him. Plus, no Lauren Holly. I know ultimately Nico was paired with Cecily but Lauren Holly was where it began and nothing?

This did do much better when it came to General Hospital. I knew the basics of a lot of the stories in this book from having seen and read interviews with Benard over the years, still I liked getting more detail on his friendship with the show’s beloved makeup artist and also when there are so many toxic stories about powerful people in Hollywood, it’s refreshing to read about Wendy Riche and Shelley Curtis being decent humans and supportive bosses all while they steered GH through one of its best eras. The off-screen relationship with Ron Hale (Sonny’s dad), Maurice’s thoughts on his on-screen son’s portrayal of bipolar, and his nerves playing opposite Tony Geary for the first time, were also good to read about.

I did think this could have had more Brenda/Vanessa Marcil, but I guess I would think that no matter how much of her was featured here because I just loved them together, I particularly would have liked to hear about shooting the scenes where Brenda wore the wire. Also, as far as GH, time after time Maurice mentions taking actors under his wing, teaching them his acting method, and although I’m not an actor, I still would have enjoyed a bit more insight into what exactly that entails, how he prepares for a scene, how he shakes it off afterwards, etc., the guy is seriously good at his job, I would have liked to have known a little more about how he does it, what goes into it.

I do get though that I must be in the minority wanting to hear more about actors working lives rather than their personal lives or every book published wouldn’t focus more on the latter. In Maurice’s case, his personal life is probably the more important part of his story to share anyway. I appreciated how candid he is at all times, even with stuff that doesn’t put him in the greatest light like how he treated his girlfriend/wife early on, and I have nothing but admiration for his continued willingness to talk so openly about his mental health struggles, the realities of living with depression and anxiety as well as how medication and therapy have helped him. Mental health has a presence on nearly every page of this book, harrowingly described at times yet there’s plenty of hope here.… (mehr)

This is a definite listen-to memoir. Listening to Maurice's story made a much greater positive impact on me than it would have had I read it. He is an amazing human being who has allowed the world into the world of Bipolar Depression by sharing his own story. I have watched General Hospital since the day it started in 1963. I watch it after school with my grandmother. I can't begin to imagine how difficult it would be to portray a huge part of your life everyday on TV, especially when you (as yourself) isn't currently going through a dark time. Anyone who has anxiety and/or depression on any level should listen to this book. When you finish the book, you will look at everyone you come in contact with new eyes. Your respect and humanity for people who suffer from any type of disability will grow exponentially. Thank you, Maurice Benard, for sharing your story, your struggles, and your successes with the world.… (mehr)