Tyler Christopher bares his soul to Maurice Benard

Tyler Christopher comes clean

Maurice Benard recently interviewed his former General Hospital cast member Tyler Christopher on his Vlog, State of Mind. Benard who has dealt with bipolar disorder for 3 decades gets his guests to open up about their personal lives as well as their own mental health challenges. There was a day when individuals who had been diagnosed with certain medical issues kept it to themselves but not anymore.

Christopher shared a harrowing tale of finding himself homeless, hungry, and living on the streets of California. He said he once walked six miles and found himself on the corner of Hollywood and Vine were he slept on a park bench. The actor said he was dirty, his hair messy and he ate out of trash cans.

Maurice Benard brings mental illness awareness

Perhaps upon hearing of Tyler’s plight and his willingness to share, some may realize that the homeless are not nameless faceless transients but real human beings who once had life just like the soap vet from General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. Benard has been vocal about his own journey and being on lithium for 30 years.

Christopher shared that he had a fall some time back that split his skull open and he actually died. He said that while lying on the park bench he could once again feel his life slipping away, knew he was near death so he prayed. The man who has portrayed ruthless, powerful characters like Stefan Kuriskis and Prince Nikolas Cassadine now found himself utterly helpless.

Divine Assistance

Christopher said that earler he had made a phone call telling a friend where he was but 3 days went by with no sign of him. . Tyler shared that while on the park bench he experienced the same feeling of his life fading away as when he cracked his skull and needed surgery so he prayed that if God was going to take him to do it now.

As if it were scripted in a movie a few moments later Tyler heard his friend calling his name and saying he had been looking everywhere for him. Christopher was taken to a hotel where he cleaned up and began his journey towards. please click on the link to see the entire interview.

Christopher says he believes he received divine intervention and Benard agreed by adding that he does not believe in coincidence. Tyler also admitted that he had an alcohol addiction and he is trying to remain sober as well as deal with his mental health challenges.

Tyler Christopher raises awareness

Although Marcus Columba is now portraying Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital there are still fans of the soap who desire to see Christopher return. Viewers do not desire to see a repeat of the Patient 6-Jason-Drew storyline where Tyler shows up in Port Charles and Columba turns out o be a fake thanks to Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy).

Christopher is Native American as his mother is part Choctaw, and his father is part Seneca. During an interview with Soap Opera Digest in July 2004, the actor made the following statement. "The big problem with how minorities are presented in television and film is that they’re presented as minorities, not as just everyday people. You show an Indian in a TV show, you don’t see him without war paint and a headdress on. But that’s what America identifies with. When you say Native American, they don’t see your doctor, they don’t see your lawyer, they don’t see your sports figures. That’s what they see, from the old cowboy movies of the past. It’s part of the culture, but it’s not all of it. And it’s not even most of it".

Kudos to Tyler Christopher for championing the cause of mental illness as well as first Americans. The actor also said he found it interesting to be nominated for an NAACP Image award and added "I'll take it" Be on the lookout for updates related to the actor's future projects.