General Hospital Stars Maurice Benard And Donnell Turner Get Personal

Maurice Benard, star of General Hospital, mental health advocate and host of the videocast State of Mind, recently sat down with co-star Donnell Turner for a discussion that touches upon Turner’s “life – his family and upbringing that made him who he is today.”

Maurice Benard And Donnell Talk The Talk

At the top of the half-hour interview, Benard wanted to address the elephant in the room. Yes, Donnell Turner (Curtis Ashford) is good looking man. In fact, Turner’s visage is a bone of contention between Benard’s parents! As the man known far and wide as Sonny Corinthos explains, “My mom is so in love with Donnell…sometimes she’ll say something and I can hear my dad [Benard playfully imitates his grumbling father].”

But in addition to his handsomeness, Benard insists that his fellow GH-er is “a damn good actor.” And furthermore, the Daytime Emmy winner insists that the conversation they’re about to engage in is going to be a tough and emotional one…and that’s exactly how it should be.

Turner begins with a look back at his geographical progression. He was born in Tacoma, Washington, reared for a time in the “authentic” concrete jungle that was Chicago, and later raised in Redding, California, where he and his older brother were “the only black kids in school.”

As a youth, he learned about bravery and courage from his mother, suffered under the yoke of racial ignorance, and witnessed firsthand his sibling’s struggle with mental health which manifested itself in suicide attempts and an addiction to alcohol.

Additionally, Turner discusses the career opportunity that he squandered as a young man in his twenties, his decision to relocate to Los Angeles in order to pursue his dream of being an actor, some of his earliest professional credits, and the pleasure he derives from coloring the GH canvas.

Be sure to check out the full interview, which you can access by clicking here. You can also watch a preview below. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.