As General Hospital prepares to celebrate 60 years of love in the afternoon with a primetime special, Woman’s World caught up with star Maurice Benard – who has played Sonny Corinthos for 30 of those years! The soap icon previews what to expect from General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling, and also dishes how he and Sonny are doing today, whether he’s game for a Sonny/Anna pairing, and what it’s like to have his real-life son, Joshua Benard, getting into the drama on GH.
Plus, in the wake of Jacklyn Zeman’s May 2023 passing, General Hospital will say goodbye to her beloved character Bobbie Spencer this month – while The Bay reveals other plans for the actress who spent 45 years in Port Charles. We’ve got everything you need to know about how daytime is honoring Zeman.
Maurice Benard talks character Sonny Corinthos
General Hospital premiered on April 1, 1963, and since hitting the canvas on August 13, 1993, Michael “Sonny” Corinthos Jr. has kept busy building and maintaining his reign over Port Charles. Having grown from street hustler to mob boss with a heart of gold, Sonny is both a dangerous, heavy and a fertile family man who has a tendency to play the hero. He also shares portrayer Maurice Benard’s bipolar diagnosis – and as Benard shares in his autobiography, Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital, balancing Sonny’s dark turns hasn’t always been easy.
“I’m proud of what I created in the early years,” Benard tells Woman’s World. “Because it was more intense and darker. I wasn’t having as much fun… but the acting was pretty good!”
@mauricebenard/Instagram
After decades of simmering conflicts and hot romances, Sonny’s bout of amnesia in 2021 allowed Benard to slide into the much easier-going character, “Mike.” Even when Sonny regained his memory and rebuilt his life with Nina by his side instead of Carly, he emerged a calmer man — and the actor has enjoyed taking it easy, on screen.
Off screen, Benard has enjoyed stepping into the role of grandfather and hosting the mental health podcast State of Mind with Maurice Benard, which features stars from the soap world and beyond.
With General Hospital so much a part of his own story, the soap veteran is also getting a special kick out of watching his real-life son, Joshua, get into the drama as troubled college kid Adam.
@mauricebenard/Instagram
“Yeah, his character is a little whack,” Benard says with a laugh. “But wait to see what happens!”
“Joshua is a natural,” adds the proud father. “And I have to say, if he wasn’t good, he’d be gone. Some people think he’s here because of me, but it’s almost harder when you’re the son of the star of the show. I started teaching him to act when he was 13, and now, you see how relaxed he is. I was always real nervous and cared what people thought. He has none of that at 19! It’s so cool.”
Maurice Benard says the old Sonny is back
ABC/Christine Bartolucci
As Benard has found his own sense of calm in life, Sonny’s world has shifted again. With Pikeman and the WSB causing trouble and Cyrus circling, there has been plenty of mob business afoot – which has Benard bringing back the intensity.
“I’ve been playing the old Sonny again,” Benard says. “I’m in that gear, and I forgot how fun it was. When I played Mike, I had to change gears — and that was cool for three years. Well, that’s over now, and I love it. I like all the bad guys and danger. And Jeff Kober [who plays Cyrus] is a good actor. I’m into it!”
On the romantic front, Sonny and Nina’s happily ever after hangs in the balance. Not only did Nina take a shot at Carly — the mother of Sonny’s children with whom he’s said “I do” to five times! – but she involved the feds in her revenge scheme. It’s hard to know which part of the betrayal will upset the mob boss more.
Interestingly, while Nina has hustled to keep her machinations hidden over the past year, Sonny found himself thrust into danger alongside Anna. The mobster and the former WSB spy were not exactly friends in their early years, but Luke’s pals have now grown to trust each other.
With some fans shipping the pairing, Finola Hughes told our sister site, First for Women she was “down for” an Anna/Sonny romance, and it turns out, she’s not the only one.
“I love Finola,” Benard says, flashing his famous dimples. “She’s fantastic, and I think we look great together. I’m all for it for it. 100 percent!”
However, in a recent interview, Bernard expressed a desire for new challenges, admitting to feeling weary of playing the same character for so long. While grateful for his role, Bernard longs to explore fresh opportunities to showcase his diverse talents.
Speculation mounts about Bernard’s potential departure from GH, sparking concern among fans. Sonny’s departure would undoubtedly leave a void on the show, but whether Bernard will indeed exit remains uncertain.
As fans eagerly await news of Bernard’s next career move, his legacy as Sonny Corinthos will undoubtedly endure, regardless of the path he chooses.
