The two castmates dig deep and explore subjects they have never discussed before.
General Hospital’s Maurice Benard invited his Port Charles colleague, John J. York to the set of his video podcast show, State Of Mind, with surprising results. After working together for over 30 years, the two work buddies crossed the line from being co-workers and friends to being family by sharing stories never revealed to each other before.
John J. York: Being Vulnerable and Digging Deep
Most individuals have heard the proverb “Be kind. Every person you encounter is engaged in a conflict you are unaware of. York and Benard have been co-stars on General Hospital since 1993; York joined the cast as Mac Scorpio in 1991, while Benard joined as Sonny Corinthos in 1993 [and filmed one of his first scenes with York]. However, York was unaware of the current mental health crisis that his castmate was through.
Benard once discovered himself curled up in a ball in his dressing room shortly before performing a scene with Billy Miller (Jake Doe/Jason Morgan/Drew Cain) and William deVry (Derek Wells/Julian Jerome) during a particularly gloomy time. “I spoke in the scene in monologues. I was probably dying, but they couldn’t tell. It was very challenging. You’ve never seen me in that way.
The native of Chicago was shocked as Benard described the facts of his mental breakdown that were included in his guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the New York Times best-selling book Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On And Off General Hospital.
York said, “I have known you for over 30 years, and I have never seen you anything but upbeat, funny, and the greatest guy in the world to work with. You are a mentor to everyone you work with, all the young people, all the young men and women on the show, and everyone who comes through because everyone comes through Sonny’s door.
The actor found the material to be eye-opening as York, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis at the age of 17, has his own challenges. However, the actor had no prior experience with a mental health crises. Both guys talked about the greater power that helped them overcome their respective problems.
John J. York: Tapping Into His Spiritual Side
York was raised in a Catholic home with three brothers and two sisters. He came from a close-knit family that often went to church, and despite leaving the church, he frequently felt that a greater power was guiding him.
“I used to tell people that there was always a hand to support me when I started in this company.” “I thought, ‘I want to be an actor,’ and then suddenly there would be a hand to drag me into this agency,” he admitted. After that, there was always a hand to help me, whether it was to bring me to California or to a job where I could earn money.
But I feel like someone is holding those hands together,” York continued. He explained the meaning of that sensation. It was a trip, not a race or a sprint, and it gave me goosebumps. It takes a long time to get there. how your work has finally brought you serenity. Here we are, two ancient men with gray hair.
Nothing else matters to me at all. My work, our relationship, and our work are all significant. Relationships, joy, and recognizing God’s face in the events and people in my life are what it is all about.
The two men had a lot more to talk about. York talked about his upbringing, his enormous family, his move to California, and how he met Vicky Manners, his wife. The proud father discusses how his daughter, Schyler, discovered her spiritual foundation and gives her credit for his newfound faith, practice, and understanding of the effectiveness of prayer in his life.
Benard mentioned his early professional experiences and how much he valued his friend’s accomplishment. They talked about York’s role as the main character in the popular 1980s television series Werewolf and his Playgirl cover. View the complete episode here.
John J. York can be followed on Twitter by fans. Maurice discussed impending State of Mind episodes that would be filmed in Graceland, Las Vegas, and on the streets. Follow Maurice Benard on Twitter, Instagram, or State of Mind to learn more about him. Contact NAMI.org if you are experiencing mental illness or if you know someone who is.
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