On the 40th anniversary of Gregory Harrison’s solo cover of TV Guide as Dr. George Alonzo “Gonzo” Gates on Trapper John, M.D., General Hospital star Maurice Benard had a sit-down with the beloved actor on this week’s video podcast of State Of Mind. The two talk about what was happening behind the scenes during his golden years on the spin-off series based on a character from the iconic series of M*A*S*H and so much more.
Gregory Harrison: Retrieving Your Life
In the 80s, Gregory Harrison (Gregory Chase, GH) was riding high. He told Benard about returning from a stint in the Army during Vietnam when the Catalina Island native was spotted at a club doing musical theater by none other than the two-time Oscar-winning actor, Jason Robards. He told him he was good and should do it for a living. Harrison left for Hollywood the next day. He used his G.I. Bill for acting classes.
It wasn’t long before he began landing leading man roles, which led to his eight-year stint on the medical dramedy, Trapper John, M.D., opposite Bonanza alum, Pernell Roberts, in the lead role. On the surface, everything was like a dream but behind-the-scenes Harrison was hiding a dark secret. He would spend most of the series battling an addiction.
He was able to juggle several projects during this time, but he wasn’t at his best. “I wasn’t just acting during that time, but I had my own production company. I was starring in something,” the actor explained. He shared how it affected him. “I did horribly, but somehow creatively, I survived. I didn’t grow. All growth stopped.”
It should have been the best of times during this peak period but his energy was spent in denial. “If I was the kind of person who would be regretful, then I would say that during my prime…I was busy using all my acting skills to disguise my addiction instead of building my career,” Harrison said.
He was barely getting by, and that caused him to take pause. “I could act, but I wasn’t doing as good as I should have been doing,” Harrison shared with Benard. “It wasn’t as good as I can do, and I am doing now. I was just persevering — pouring massive amounts of energy into enduring my addiction — not into the creative artist that I was inspired to be. And then I found my way back.
“You lose your soul when you are an addict. You lose touch with yourself,” he described. Harrison decided to seek help at the Betty Ford Center. “I got back in touch with myself through my sobriety after a few years of hard work.”
Getting help led to a better life. “Staying sober, I became my creative self again. I got my marriage back. Got my health back. Slowly retrieved everything that I had lost. I have lived three-and-a-half decades now, as a better person, actually, for having gone through it.”
It took hitting rock bottom to build himself back up again. “For having almost died. For having almost lost everything,” he revealed the consequences of hitting bottom before seeing the light. “And having to find the humility to seek help and to recognize my frailty and embrace it, I have become a better human being.”
The actor came out on the other side and is living a sober life. Harrison is still reaping the benefits of reaching out. “I think I have been a better husband, a better father, a better friend, a better actor, and a better human being for having survived that. And there are a lot of friends who I started doing blow with who didn’t live…who died.”
He went on to express how grateful he is for being healthy and alive. “I don’t recommend for anyone to go through that to become a better person, but that feeds my gratitude that I was one of the lucky ones who got through it, and learned from it, and became a better person because of it.”
A Kaleidoscope Of History To Explore
Benard (Sonny) and Harrison explore his growing up on Catalina Island, how his grandfather’s glass bottom boat business led to his introduction to filmmaking, how he felt about being drafted during the Vietnam War, and how his struggle as a conscientious objector paved the way for others to get out of serving in an inhumane war.
He talks about growing up Mormon, losing his religion, how Muhammad Ali inspired him, and how his early encounters with Doris Day, Rod Taylor, and Jack Lemmon changed his life. He also discusses his 40+ years of marriage to actress Randi Oakes from CHiPS fame, and how his sister, who is an ethnobotanist, helped him with his depression through the use of mushrooms. Before the show ended, Benard even predicted a Daytime Emmy nom in his future for his ALS storyline. There truly is something for everyone in this can’t-miss episode.
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