Maurice Benard Reposts Tristan Rogers Throwback Interview

Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) from General Hospital honored the late Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) with a throwback State of Mind podcast episode from three years ago. Many fans were grateful that the original interview existed because it was a nice tribute to the Australian actor.

The Podcast With Tristan

Recently, apart from his weekly podcast with various folks, Benard started posting old interviews with his guests. And, with the death of Tristan this week, he saw a perfect way to honor the former ABC star by reposting one from April 2022.

If you missed the original, now is your chance to find out more about the legend who’s on the minds of so many daytime TV fans right now. In the introduction, the real-life Sonny Corinthos told his fans that it would be a “different” interview and promised it would be a “fun” episode.

Fun Came In The Banter

One amusing response came when Maurice Benard mentioned his fear of flying. Actually, he’s over it now after therapy, and when he talked about the anxiety of it all, Tristan responded in a way fans will recognize.

He said, “I hate flying, too. It’s a fact of life. I hate it. I don’t like getting on a plane. I’d rather take a bus.” Asked why, he said, “I just hate knowing that the damn thing can fall out of the sky at any goddamn…minute and that I can’t do a thing about it.”

Next, came a discussion about growing up in Australia, and it turns out the real-life Robert Scorpio had a nice life across the pond. He told Maurice, “I had a really good childhood,” adding, “At the time, we were living in a pretty lousy area. Now, in that area, you can’t get an outhouse for less than three million dollars, it’s the area to live in now.”

The Career Twists

What followed was a story about how life offered some strange twists and turns for Tristan. He didn’t go straight into acting. He started out drumming in a band, but it didn’t earn him any money. So one day, when a DJ couldn’t make it to a venue, he decided to try it. It wasn’t as easy as it looked.

But later, he did some auditions and related an anecdote about doing so in a lobby while a janitor looked on. The janitor liked the audition, by the way. Along the way, he did some commercials and seemed to do okay with it.

A Show Called Link Men 

Tristan wanted to act properly, so he took himself off to Sydney and earned a role in a show called Link Men. However, it was canceled after 13 episodes, so he went to London. While working in commercials in Europe, he called up someone he knew from Link Men who offered him a role.

The TV connection told him:

I’m doing a show over here called Paul Temple. It’s about a high-end private detective. We’re doing this particular episode, and you’re perfect for a role in it.

Tristan didn’t even need to do an audition because the man told him, “You’ve got the role. I’ll call the casting person up, producer. Be at this address first thing in the morning.”

The GH Role

 Rogers talked about working with well-known actors like Anthony Geary, Genie Francis, and Jack Wagner. He also mentioned his experience with Elizabeth Taylor, saying, “Elizabeth Taylor was wonderful to work with.” Plus, Benard’s podcast also highlighted Tristan Rogers’ early career on General Hospital.

Rogers also explained that when he first auditioned for the role of Robert Scorpio, he didn’t realize how big the show was. He thought it was only a two-day part. “I did five readings, in five different days, and finally they told me that ‘I got the job,’ and I came the next day for a wardrobe fitting,” he said.

Fans React In The Comments

Daytime drama fans flooded the comments section. One of them said, “To hear of the passing of Tristan Rogers is not only sad but heartbreaking. A beautiful way to honor him and the many years that he beautifully portrayed Robert Scorpio.”

Here are a few more reactions from ABC fans:

• His closing statement “It was a pleasure to be here” felt like a fond farewell. Thank you for posting. May his memory always be a blessing.
• I love Tristan! He reminded me of my dad so much, and I named my son after him. I’m so sad he’s gone. RIP.
• What a wonderful actor he was. From the first moment I saw him on the screen with Luke and Laura in the early 80s. God bless him.

Are you pleased that Maurice Benard had the footage in his archives for re-airing? Shout out in the comments below and come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.