Actor Andrew Hawkes joins Amy Marcs and his wife, therapist and co-host of Sex After, Sasha Hawkes, for a candid conversation about the unexpected journey of playing Ross Cullum on General Hospital. Andy shares what it was really like to step into one of daytime television's most memorable villains, from the audition process and the fast-paced world of daytime television to reading fan reactions and creating the emotional backstory behind the character.

The conversation also explores the realities of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, navigating self-doubt, managing anxiety, and finding confidence through preparation and perseverance. Sasha offers the unique experience of supporting her husband through the highs and lows of marriage, family life, and a career built on resilience.

Whether you're a General Hospital fan or simply interested in the stories behind success, this episode is a reminder that growth often comes from showing up, staying connected, and continuing to move forward, even when the path isn't easy.

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You can follow Andy @TheAndrewHawkes

For more information about the General Hospital Fan Club Event please visit @OfficialGHFC

*If you are struggling, please know you don't have to face it alone. Recovery and healing are possible, and reaching out is a sign of strength.

• If you're struggling with alcohol use, learn more about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and find meetings in your area.
• If you're experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges, consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional, your primary care provider, or a trusted support person.
• If you or someone you know is in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, contact your local emergency services or your country's crisis hotline immediately.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Sex After: The After, Amy and Sasha continue the conversation sparked by their deeply moving interview with Norman Buckley about grief, loss, trauma, healing, and the unpredictable ways we move through pain.

Together, they explore the difference between grief and loss, why grief is never linear, and what it means to get “stuck” in pain versus learning how to live alongside it. Sasha shares insight from a therapist’s perspective on trauma responses, emotional triggers, dissociation, rewiring the brain, and the importance of allowing ourselves to feel rather than avoid difficult emotions.

Amy opens up about losing both of her parents at very different stages of life, the lasting impact of losing a parent young, and the profound loneliness that can come with grief. The conversation also dives into joy versus happiness, gentle reminders, expectations, healing, self-compassion, and why being present with someone in pain can matter more than having the “right” words.

This is a conversation about carrying grief, making space for uncertainty, and finding moments of connection, humor, and joy even in the middle of heartbreak.

Topics include:

· Grief vs. loss

· Trauma and emotional triggers

· Dissociation and coping mechanisms

· Joy vs. happiness

· The importance of community and support

· How to support someone who is grieving

· Expectations, disappointment, and acceptance

· Gentle reminders and self-compassion

If this episode resonates with you, please rate, review, and share with someone who may need it.

Please follow us @SexAfterPodcast and @IronSkirtProductions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode is about grief, loss, and what it means to live with both, something all of us experience, in ways big and small, throughout our lives.

I’m joined by Norman Buckley, an acclaimed television director whose work includes Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The O.C., and Sweet Magnolias. He is also a beautiful writer whose reflections on loss have really stayed with me.

Together, we explore a different way of thinking about grief, not as something we move through, but as something that becomes part of us. And within that how we continue to live, to notice, and to stay open to life.

We talk about presence, creativity, and what it means to continue showing up, even when life doesn’t look the way we thought it would.

This is also a conversation about something many of us struggle with: how hard it can be to talk about loss, how often people change the subject or don’t know what to say, and how that can leave us feeling alone in our experience.

Because when we don’t talk about our pain, it tends to stay with us in ways we don’t always realize.

And when we allow ourselves to stay in the conversation… something begins to shift.

Whether you’re navigating loss right now or simply living a life where loss exists, this conversation is about being present for your life, for the people around you, and for the moments, big and small, that are still here.

For more information about Norman Buckley, please visit his website: http://normanbuckley.com/

For more information about Sex After, please follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexafterpodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.