General Hospital Cast: Andrew Hawkes Discusses ADHD & Healing

General Hospital (GH) fans who tuned into State of Mind with Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) saw him chatting about life with Andrew Hawkes (Ross Cullum). The long-ranging discussion on Sunday visited the childhood of the ABC fictional Director of the WSB.

The secret villain working with Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) drifted through conversations about catching snakes, school being tough, and then came the mental health aspect.

Struggles As A Child

The real-life Ross Cullum, who debuted on GH in January, struggled so much. He described it as “undiagnosed ADHD,” and he seemed a bit irritated with his personality letting him down.

He noted that he “worked hard” and “tried hard,” but nobody seemed to know much about it. All he knew was that something was wrong.

Next, they talked about mental health in the 1970s. As Hawkes put it, everyone just had to “tough it out.” Fortunately, he did well at sport and excelled in “the water.” So, he found some peace there.

Feeling Bad – Voices

Acting does the same thing for Andrew Hawkes these days. Still, despite good acting ability, he feels that his mind always tells him he’s no good.

What helps him? Well, he feels that folks need to “practice” ways to “take care of themselves.” That’s why he goes to “a 12-step program” and appreciated that therapy helps.

Hawkes spoke about the negative “voices” in his head that tell him he isn’t good enough. They’re not hallucinatory voices, but what the mind suggests.

General Hospital fans then heard Maurice Benard talk about the voices that speak to him as well. Unlike Hawkes, his voices don’t talk about being unworthy or useless. Instead, his thoughts take him to fears of struggling with worst-case scenarios like failing as an actor.

What Helps?

Hawkes feels the best thing is to “have a conversation,” and just be “okay” about talking. His main motivation about opening up to Maurice Benard is the opportunity to talk about feeling “alone.”

That opens up more conversations with people who feel they have to hide a “secret that keeps eating at you.” The biggest problem he faces is not having any purpose. No purpose triggers “depression or even destructive behaviors.”

The Actor Copes Well

If you watch the ABC daytime show, would you have any idea that the man who plays Cullum often feels “pulled” by conflict in his head? After all, GH fans saw him orchestrate the psychological torture of Anna Devane (Finola Hughes).

Remember, he blackmailed Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud).

Next, he ordered a hit on Marco Rios and tried to kill off Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).

Well, if Hawkes feels overwhelmed, much like Maurice Benard and his family support, he finds “contentment” and safety at home.

Finding A Safe Place

Actually, it’s a common thread that arises again and again during State of Mind. Many others also deal with mental health through therapy and strong connections.

Feeling grounded in the now helps as well. And fortunately, his wife sometimes reminds him, “Lend yourself some grace.”

Viewers React

In the comment section, one viewer penned, “We, as fans of GH, sometimes judge people based on their character and I’ll bet that’s the case with Andrew. When people watch this they are going to applaud who he really is as he opens up about his life and his struggles. Thank you both for sharing your mental health issues with us.”

Here are a few other takeaways from the discussion:

• Wow, this was such a phenomenal interview! It was so interesting getting to know the wonderful guy behind the evil character he plays so brilliantly.
• Both of you are very strong to be able to do such brilliant acting with dealing with your mental states! My god you are proving to other people with mental health issues that they can make it through the stuff they are going through.

Your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come here often for all your spoilers and General Hospital cast news and updates.