Another episode locked in! Jens Austin Astrup, who plays Kai Taylor on General Hospital, is the latest guest on Maurice Benard’s (aka Sonny Corinthos) State of Mind on YouTube. The series offers viewers a deeper look into the lives of the actors they know and love, and this episode was no different.
As basically a new kid on the block in daytime TV, Astrup sat down for an honest, eye-opening conversation with his colleague. He started by talking about his upbringing. Born in Chicago, Astrup shared that by the time he was 4 years old, his whole family, his mom, dad, sister, and brother, had moved to Los Angeles. As kids, they got into commercial acting and were constantly auditioning, trying to make it in Hollywood.
Astrup attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica before eventually moving to New York for college. He opened up about his home life growing up, calling it pretty chaotic.
Jens Austin Astrup Opens Up About His Father’s Death by Suicide
“My dad passed away when I was 16… no, just before I turned 15. That rocked me in ninth grade,” he said. Astrup revealed that his father died by suicide. He reflected on the struggles his dad faced: financial hardship, emotional stress, and said he believes depression played a role in his father’s death.
One memory that stood out is that of his dad buying him a pair of shoes that he couldn’t really afford. After Astrup damaged them, his dad got upset, a moment that, Astrup thinks, his father deeply regretted later.
He also talked about how his parents had divorced about a year and a half before his dad passed. Home life was rough. After the split, his dad moved into an apartment where he didn’t even have a room, just a couch to sleep on. At the time of his father’s death, his mom was homeless. Thankfully, his great aunt and uncle stepped in and became foster parents to him and his siblings.
The actor even got emotional when he spoke about the peace he’s finally found in his life. Astrup also talked about landing the part on General Hospital and sang the praises of his onscreen love interest, Tabyana Ali aka Trina Robinson. But don’t just take our word for it, check out the full interview with Jens Austin Astrup below! (Photo Credit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci.)
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