The latest episode of the Soapy podcast just dropped, and it is absolutely worth checking out for fans of daytime television and the Karate Kid universe alike. Hosts Greg Rikaart and Rebecca Budig sat down with Sean Kanan for a conversation that went far beyond the usual career retrospective.
While many fans know Kanan as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Deacon Sharpe or the unforgettable Mike Barnes from The Karate Kid Part III and Cobra Kai, the actor revealed that his real-life story has been just as intense as anything he has played on screen.
Sean Kanan Recalls Terrifying Near-Death Experience
One of the most powerful moments of the interview came when Kanan reflected on a frightening medical emergency that happened while filming The Karate Kid Part III.
At the time, he had been dealing with severe pain in his upper thigh, which he initially believed was caused by martial arts training during filming. To manage the pain, he started taking large amounts of aspirin, not realizing it would make things significantly worse.
Kanan explained:
“We were shooting for about two weeks, and I started getting this pretty significant pain in my upper left thigh which I thought was from all the martial arts.”
Things escalated quickly over Christmas in 1988 when he suddenly collapsed in Las Vegas. Doctors discovered he was suffering from internal bleeding that had begun affecting his femoral artery.
“They said, ‘Here’s a piece of paper and this says that you understand that we don’t know if we can save your life.’”
Kanan admitted that, to this day, it remains the most terrifying experience of his life.
Even more shocking, he checked himself out of the hospital against medical advice just days later because he feared losing his role in the movie.
Sean Kanan TED Talk
Thankfully, the interview was not all heavy, though.
Kanan also opened up about the personal growth he has experienced over the years, including his sobriety journey and how his outlook on success completely changed.
These days, he focuses heavily on what he calls “Character Optimization,” a mindset and philosophy that eventually inspired his successful book series and TED Talk.
Outside of that, Sean Kanan is still busier than ever.
Of course, he shared hilarious stories about appearing on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars, including one unforgettable moment where a slight pronunciation mistake accidentally turned an innocent comment into something much more explicit on live television.
Apparently, even the Pope was watching.
Beyond acting, Kanan is also keeping busy as a producer and entrepreneur. Alongside his work on The Bold and the Beautiful, he is currently promoting his new film Body Man while continuing to expand his “Bad Boy” hot sauce brand.
Whether he is throwing kicks in Cobra Kai or battling between his love for crazy Sheila or renowned psychiatrist Dr. Taylor Hayes, Sean Kanan is definitely the man to keep an eye on.
Watch Sean Kanan’s full interview below!
Photo Credit: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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