This Sunday, General Hospital star Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) hosted Days of Our Lives star Raven Bowens on his State of Mind podcast. She talked about her career and also mentioned a tragic event from her younger years.
Acting & GH
Talking about acting, Raven, the actress who plays Chanel Dupree, mentioned that she once tried out for the role of Trina Robinson on General Hospital. Maurice Benard listened as she described her screen test in Los Angeles with casting director Mark Teschner. Of course, executive producer Frank Valentini was also there.
Unfortunately, she discovered that she seemed a bit too old for the role. Plus, she felt that she might not have fit the part anyway. That was interesting. But, as fans of Maurice Benard know, sooner or later the conversation turns to serious matters.
A Tragic Loss
Perhaps Raven Bowens knew that because she didn’t hesitate for long before relaying a very sad story. Actually, it seemed so sad as she explained that she suffered a terrible personal loss.
She said, “I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was just kind of trying to figure it out.” Then, she credited a high school boyfriend with first suggesting she try acting. Remembering the moment, she added, “you should maybe do some acting… all the people there they just remind me of you.”
Tragically, he drowned shortly after while attending the University of Oregon. “He was playing football… they were floating the river… he got caught in a current,” Bowens shared. “He was underwater for like I think about 10 minutes… he didn’t survive. That was tough. Even now. Yeah. Oh yeah. Like I could cry right now.”
Soaps Were In Her Future
Bowens also shared that she always knew her path would lead to a soap opera. An acting coach had encouraged her to study soaps, and despite not getting onto General Hospital, she did land her role as Chanel on Days of Our Lives in July 2021.
Even so, she didn’t get it on her first attempt. And that story was also about not giving up, going forward, and keeping at it. No wonder her fans think she’s a strong and brave person.
Fans React
In the comments section, fans were quick to talk about the deeply personal interview with Maurice Benard. One follower wrote:
Thank you Maurice for interviewing Raven. She is a great actress and person and she is so good on Days. Please have more actors from Days if possible. I know you have had actors that have worked on Days through the years such as Genie Frances, Ali Sweeney, Tyler Christopher, Kirsten Storms, and Sarah Brown…Thank you for all you do for mental health awareness.
Here are a few other responses from the discussion:
- SOM is the type of show that is relatable and is the show where you can learn from! Maurice you have a wonderful gift when getting people to open up to you!
- I just love the way you connect with people and showcase how human we all truly are.
- I loved this interview & it was awesome to learn about Raven who I didn’t know about so cool!
Let us know what you think in the comments below and come back here often for all our General Hospital cast news and updates.