In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actress Kelly Thiebaud for a raw, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about what it really means to start over.

Kelly opens up about growing up in a small town, being a sports kid turned model, and how the modeling world messed with her relationship to food, her body, and her self-worth. She shares what it was like moving to Los Angeles at 17, experiencing an early heartbreak that shaped how she viewed love, and why she didn’t fully step into acting until later in life.

Maurice and Kelly also get real about mental health: therapy, bitterness, anxiety, medication decisions, and the pressure of having to “perform” when you’re privately falling apart. Together, they talk about learning to be alone, rebuilding after blowing up your life, and treating your past not as proof you’re broken—but as information that helps you grow.

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In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actor, musician, and longtime friend Jonathan Jackson for a deeply personal conversation about what happens when the mind feels steady but the body doesn’t. They talk about preparation, performance, and those moments when anxiety shows up physically even when you “should” be fine.

Jonathan shares how faith shapes his work and his life, why he resists the word “performing,” and what he’s learned about trauma, prayer, and the surprising idea that beauty can reach people when logic can’t. Maurice opens up about a difficult season, the power of friendship, and the kind of support that doesn’t just comfort you, it pulls you back toward the light.

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Actor, writer, director, and voice actor Michael Easton joins Maurice Benard on State of Mind for a rare, deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to heal.

Michael shares what it was like growing up between Belfast and the U.S., moving constantly, and carrying the hidden weight of childhood fear and instability into adulthood. From there, the conversation opens up into the stuff most people avoid: anxiety, grief, loss, and the long process of bringing buried pain to the surface so it can finally move.

They talk about surrender, therapy, meditation, the difference between suppressing pain and processing it, and why real healing often starts when someone is willing to sit with you in the dark.

Later, Michael reflects on his path into acting, the early years of his career, and the strange moments that come with visibility, identity, and being seen. The episode closes with a powerful tribute to Kamar de los Reyes, and what his life and passing changed in Michael forever.

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On this State of Mind, Maurice sits down with Art Stratton Brown, a remarkable 101-year-old World War II veteran (and Josh Swickard’s grandfather) whose energy, clarity, and gratitude feel almost impossible to believe. Art takes us from a tough Chicago childhood and early leadership instincts to combat training, frontline battles in Italy and France, and the daily realities of war — fear, loss, survival, and the moments that never leave you. What unfolds is ultimately a conversation about resilience, faith, discipline, and how gratitude and purpose can shape a life, even after witnessing the darkest parts of humanity.

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Josh Swickard—an actor who’s starred in films that have reached #1 on Netflix and on General Hospital—opens up about anxiety attacks he didn’t understand until they hit him, and how breathwork helped him reframe the symptoms and take away the fear. The conversation moves through anger, calm, parenting, and faith, landing on a powerful idea: don’t waste the pain—use it to help others keep moving forward.

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Maurice Bernard sits down with wrestler Medina Ali for a powerful conversation about discipline, mental strength, and resilience. Medina shares how her background in combat sports shaped her mindset, and what happened when she was unexpectedly contacted by WWE and thrown into the world of professional wrestling without prior experience. They talk about bullying, culture, family expectations, fear, and why physical movement has always been her form of therapy. Plus, Maurice opens up about anxiety, hypnosis, and finally getting back on a plane after years of fear.

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Retired LAPD veteran Manny Santoo rarely does interviews, but on State of Mind he opens up about a life shaped by the streets—air support helicopters, high-risk nights during the LA Riots, and what police work teaches you about fear, adrenaline, and restraint. The conversation turns deeply personal as Manny shares the story of his daughter Bella, who is autistic and mostly nonverbal, and how his family learned to communicate through letter boards and unwavering patience. Along the way: faith, grief, true-crime fascination, and the moments that change a person’s entire outlook.

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Enjoy this conversation originally published in 2022 featuring Emmy-winning actor Michael E. Knight. In this episode reflects on decades of friendship with Maurice Benard, their early years on All My Children, and the moments that shaped them on and off screen. In a conversation filled with laughter and honesty, Michael opens up about living with OCD and dysthymia, the role therapy and medication have played in his life, and why asking for help can be an act of strength—not weakness.

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For the first time publicly, Chris McKenna opens up about his bipolar diagnosis and the mental health journey that reshaped his life and career. In this deeply personal episode of State of Mind, the General Hospital actor tells Maurice Benard what it was like living undiagnosed for decades, the breaking point he faced during the pandemic, and the treatment that helped him find stability and clarity.

After breaking on State of Mind, Chris McKenna’s story was subsequently featured on The Story Is with Elex Michaelson on CNN, bringing the conversation to an even wider national audience.

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In this episode of State of Mind, legendary broadcaster and comedian Fritz Coleman reflects on retirement, identity, and the fear of losing purpose after a long career. He shares how staying engaged through creativity, sobriety, and meaningful work helped him avoid the emotional collapse he once witnessed in his own family. It is an honest conversation about aging, self-doubt, and what it really takes to stay alive inside.

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