B&B's Sean Kanan Credits His Sobriety For Successful Deacon Comeback

"The Bold and the Beautiful" star Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe) appeared on the August 20 installment of the YouTube series "State of Mind," and he had a truly riveting conversation with his former "General Hospital" co-star, and the show's host, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos). They recorded it in June, which was fortuitous, because not only is Benard's show about mental health awareness, but it was also Men's Mental Health Awareness Month. The fact that Kanan is nearly two years sober came up, and Benard complimented him by saying that sobriety made him look like legendary actor Rock Hudson.

Benard stated the reason Kanan looked so healthy wasn't simply because he'd stopped drinking alcohol, but also because avoiding alcohol had a positive effect on him mentally. Kanan agreed, responding, "I don't know, somewhere along the line I made some peace with things." He cited a quote that someone once said to him which was, "Would you give up one thing, to have everything?" Kanan said for him the "one thing" was drinking, adding that he now has everything. He expounded on the thought, explaining that simple things aren't always easy, and he described that as he got into his 50s, "I was getting older and I felt myself slipping into a place of mediocrity, and I knew what I was capable of. I knew that I had so much to show the world." He also remarked that drinking alcohol "Was absolutely standing in my way of doing any of that."

Sean Kanan continued discussing his sobriety with Maurice Benard on "State of Mind," explaining that it felt "Like the clouds parted because once I stopped drinking, it was like the universe opened up to me." He further said that when he'd quit for a few months in 2020, that year also had him doing two movies with iconic star Bruce Willis back-to-back, he got onto the Netflix series "Cobra Kai," returning to the role that helped launch Kanan's career, and he was asked to reprise his role as Deacon Sharpe on "The Bold and the Beautiful." He stated, "None of that would have happened if I was not changing."

Kanan was also writing his book, "Way of the Cobra," then, explaining that he realized he needed to apply his teachings therein to himself. He thought, "'I cannot put this book out in good conscience and not live the life that's commensurate with what I'm writing.' It's like Doc Holliday says, 'My hypocrisy only goes so far.'" Kanan also ruminated about his prior drinking, feeling that he was "self-medicating" to deal with various anxieties. "The problem is it's like you're holding a tiger by the tail," he explained. But, while he quit to help himself, he also had his wife Michele's words in his mind when she told him, "I've put everything into this. Please don't tell me I backed the wrong horse." Those words resonated with him, and that helped set him on his current, successful path.