Maurice Benard says he had an ally in Tyler Christopher.
The General Hospital star, 60, revealed to PEOPLE at the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday that he and his co-star bonded over dealing with mental health challenges before Christopher’s death at age 50 last month.
“I got very close to him [during] his last years, and we had amazing conversations and everything, and he was bipolar. Also alcoholism,” said Benard.
“But he was a wonderful man, very humble and incredibly talented. But in the end it was tragic,” he added. “But that’s what happens when it’s hard to get [the issues] fixed. Even if you try and try, sometimes you can’t.”
General Hospital Actor Tyler Christopher died at the age of 50: ‘Sweet soul and wonderful friend’
Benard confirmed the actor’s death at his San Diego apartment “following a heart problem” on Instagram in November, writing: “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher.”
He continued: “Tyler was a truly talented individual who lit up the screen in every scene he performed and enjoyed bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a kind soul and a wonderful friend to all who knew him.”
When asked how he’s dealing with the grief of losing his colleague, he told PEOPLE that he’s “lost so many people” in his life and has learned to deal with it in a certain way.
General HospitalMaurice Benard Talks About Living With—and Surviving—Bipolar Disorder (Exclusive)
“I always do what I think they would want me to do, which is to be happy,” he said. “I’m not thinking about myself. I think what my dad would do [want] — because my dad died of Alzheimer’s — and I know he would want me to be happy. I know my dad. So he wouldn’t want me to be sad.”
“You go through your grieving process, but start thinking like that,” he explained. “What would the person you love, who died, want?”
Benard, who has been vocal about his struggles with bipolar illness in the past, noted that it can be difficult to turn your life around when faced with these kinds of problems, but he’s been able to push through by focusing on doing the “right things.” ”
“If you go back to not trying to win [the issues] fixed, it could get worse,” he said. “But for me, I started the show called State of mind on YouTube and it was like my therapy. I’m getting emotional now. And that helped me tremendously for three years.”
The actor said he’s “doing the best” right now, explaining that in the past he’s been “a little intense, a little dark, a little [angry] from the inside.” However, he pointed out that he had been working on it “since the pandemic”.
“And then, like I said, once you go through hell, you really see the light because life will somehow reward you,” he added.
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