BOOK REPORT

Maurice Benard’s long-awaited memoir, Nothing General About It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On And Off GENERAL HOSPITAL), a candid, no-holds-barred account of the actor’s mental health and professional journey, was released in print and audiobook form on April 7. He spoke to Digest about the very personal project, in which he delves into his battle with bipolar disorder, his oft-rocky family life, and, of course, the highs and lows of his decades-long run as Sonny on GH.

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Soap Opera Digest: The book was such a joy, Maurice.

Maurice Benard: Thank you. I’m so proud of it and the response is good and I think it’s gonna help people, and that’s all that matters.

Digest: When did you start kicking around the idea of writing your memoir?

Benard: Well, I think when I did OPRAH, she mentioned that I should write a book but I didn’t really think about doing it. I thought it was too much work. But over the years people have said it, especially because of the mental health [aspect], so I did it, and I’m so glad I did.

Digest: Did you have any reservations about being so vulnerable to put your story out there in this way?

Benard: Well, no, because people who know me know that I’m an open book and I talk about everything.... It’s funny, because the only time that I really felt vulnerable was when I did the audiobook, and it just broke my heart, man. Toward the end of the audiobook, there was a couple of chapters that just killed me.

Digest: Tell us about the process of working with Susan Black, who wrote the book with you. How did you begin? Did she start interviewing you?

Benard: Yeah, she interviewed me with a tape recorder. She’s a friend of mine and she’s a film writer. [She] and I would just sit and talk for hours, man. I like to talk anyway, so we just did it and that was it. I kept talking and talking, I think for over a year and a half.

Digest: When you [write about how you] were institutionalized before your bipolar diagnosis, you really paint a picture of how terrifying an experience that was. Talking about it for the book, did that get emotionally overwhelming at times and stir things up for you?