Michael Knight On Mental Health ‘Battle Scars’ With GH’s Maurice Benard

General Hospital (GH) fans know Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap, and Michael Knight as Tad Martin on All My Children. Of course, ABC fans also know him from GH as Martin Grey. Well, the duo appeared together in a podcast. And, fans saw that their bond goes beyond just being fellow actors. Read on for more.

A Reposted Podcast

On Sunday, Maurice didn’t do a new podcast on State of Mind. Instead, he reposted an old one, but for viewers, it was worth watching again because of the amazing chemistry between the two men. Pretty much, Maurice Benard explained it was “off-the-cuff” which meant the two old friends could be as raw or vulnerable as they wished.

Benard started the introduction with a lot of praise for Knight’s versatility. In fact, he compared his talent to that of Hollywood great, Jack Lemmon. Then, he noted that Knight is one of the “three funniest people” he knows. Well, he also loves the funny personality of Steve Burton and the late Tony Geary.

A Shared History

Michael Knight and the real-life Sonny Corinthos have a shared history that goes back to their “baby” years on the set of All My Children. Back then, Benard played Nico Kelly.

Knight reminisced about the early days of “Tad the Cad,” admitting, “I had no idea how lucky I [was].” That’s because he found himself acting alongside famous folks like Kim Delaney and Dorothy Lyman.

Turning To Mental Health

As usual with State of Mind, the conversation turned to mental health and coping with it. Knight opened up about his battle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Like so many others, he struggled with his emotional health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, he recalled reaching out to Benard during a “train came off the tracks” moment.

Michael Knight described the physical toll of a breakdown, saying that food began to “taste like metal.” Benard, being an advocate for bipolar disorder awareness, totally understood. And, he called it the “gift shop of hell.”

Then the duo discussed the “battle scars” left on their souls and the grueling nature of insomnia. Knight recalled the paralyzing fear of the sun going down: “I’d start to get panicky because… the voices get louder.”

Finding Support Is Important

General Hospital fans then heard how those sort of struggles seem way more common than people realize. Knight seemed so grateful that he had Maurice Benard to turn to. He said, “You didn’t try to talk me out of anything… you told me about the signposts.” So, having someone to support them means that recovery is “doable.”

Despite such a traumatic time, Michael Knight told Maurice Benard that getting through harsh psychological “hiccups” brings a new perspective on life. After all, after walking through the fire, he no longer sweats the small things. Giving himself grace, he said that he tells himself, “I deserve a little peace. I deserve a little calm.”

Viewers React

GH fans never seem to tire of Maurice and his mental health awareness on State of Mind. So, plenty of comments arrived. One of them penned, “Awesome interview. Thank you for sharing Michael. Maurice thanks for continuing this platform to reach people. God Bless!”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• The love and laughter beautifully balanced the information you both generously shared regarding the mental health challenges you each faced. Thank you, both.
• Thank you, Michael. I’ve watched you all the way back to Tad. … I was SO excited when you came to GH. I like what you bring to Martin.
• You two aren’t comfort blankets, you’re cultural touchstones for a huge number of us. Hearing you talk about your mental health struggles gives us the opportunity to realize our mental health struggles are part of being human. No amount of fame or money can protect anyone from the pitfalls of the human condition.

What are your thoughts? Shout out in the comments below, and come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.