Rena Sofer On State Of Mind: Breaking Cycles, Fame, And New Beginnings
Rena Sofer joins Maurice Benard to open up about family trauma, walking away from Hollywood, and finding peace in art.
General Hospital (GH) alum Rena Sofer (Lois Cerullo) recently sat down with Maurice Benard for a conversation about family cycles, fame, and walking away from the spotlight.
The daytime TV star opened up about the deep personal choices that shaped her life both on and off the screen. She made it clear that her path was never traditional.
Maurice Surprised Rena
During the interview on State of Mind on Sunday night, Maurice Benard admitted he felt intimidated by her back in their nineties soap opera days.
He recalled her intensity on the set of General Hospital. Sofer seemed surprised by his confession. She explained that her focus came from a desire to do great work and respect everyone’s time.
Talking About Her Childhood
The conversation quickly moved to her childhood. Sofer grew up as the daughter of an Orthodox rabbi. After her parents divorced, her father moved the family across the country.
She said it was the “best thing” he ever could do for them because it “saved all of our lives.”
Benard asked if her mother suffered from mental illness. Sofer refused to give a medical label, noting she is “not a doctor.” However, she spoke openly about facing emotional abuse.
She shared that her mother also came from an “abusive mother.” In a strange turn of events, her mother became a professor of “developmental psychology” after leaving the family. An odd paradox in academia.
A week before the podcast, her mom sent an email through Sofer’s website after eleven years of total silence. The message allegedly stated that she had childhood photos to return but had no interest in connecting.
Sofer sent a mailing address back with no words whatsoever. It seems some doors stay closed for a reason.
The Acting Career
Sofer also discussed her famous soap characters. She played Lois Cerullo on General Hospital and Quinn Fuller on The Bold and the Beautiful.
She told Benard that she always tried to create what wasn’t on the page, pushing back when writers tried to make Quinn a simple “gold digger.”
Personal Life
Her real life took priority over Hollywood. Rena Sofer reminded Maurice Benard that she was married to her co-star Wally Kurth, but they divorced after realizing their characters were in love, not them. Set romances can blur reality.
Later, she married her current husband, Sanford “Sandy” Bookstaver. They divorced after fourteen years, spent three years apart, and then remarried.
She shared that she needed the death of the relationship to understand how to live in the relationship.
Walking Away From The Cameras
Eventually, Rena Sofer walked away from her lucrative television career. She wanted to be a stay-at-home mother while her husband traveled for work.
She promised herself she would leave when her youngest daughter started her senior year of high school. Her contract ended, and she chose not to renew it.
Now, she spends her time creating ceramics. She even brought Benard a piece of her artwork. According to the interview, Sofer is happy to follow her own dreams today. She appears completely at peace with her decision to step back from permanently being in front of the cameras.
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