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Considering General Hospital’s Sonny Corinthos has been the most powerful mob boss in the Northeast for three decades, you wouldn’t think that he’d need his hand held through anything. However, in real life, Maurice Benard has been very open about his bipolar disorder, which was worked into the show, making Sonny’s struggle similar to his own. Now, the actor revealed how the show has helped him through some tough times.
The show has always been there for him
On Instagram, Young Hollywood had previously shared a clip from an interview conducted by Lesley Robins with the General Hospital star and recently posted a longer version. It was captioned, “Sonny Corinthos is the most notorious man in ALL of soaps, but he's more than just a character to actor Maurice Benard, who has embodied the role on #GeneralHospital for 3 decades! Peep our chat with him on set during #NursesBall week!!! @mauricebenard @generalhospitalabc @lesleymia #soaps #soapopera.”
In the clip, he was asked if he thought about being on the show for 30 years. “This place has been incredible,” he began, and praised his workplace with, “General Hospital has always just been there for me 100%, no matter what.” Explaining that the cast and crew of the show are like a second family to him, he recounted, “When I first started, I had a nervous breakdown, quit the show, [and] came back.” He added, “And they held my hand.” He also noted that executive producer Frank Valentini currently “Holds my hand a lot.”
He brings a greater awareness
A fan, @jadedcowgirl3, praised Benard for his efforts in raising awareness about mental health, writing, “Absolutely love your character and all the heart you put into playing Sonny. I have been watching #GH for almost 40 years now. ♥️♥️♥️♥️ Thank you for the years of entertainment and everything you do for mental health awareness.”
The fans took Benard’s words to heart and shared their appreciation of the beloved actor. @claudiafogelson commented, “🙌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 Thank You for Always Being 💯% You -- Grateful for All You Have Shared -- Given and Appreciated Your Honesty and Integrity…A Fan Always…”
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Ultimately, Benard said in his interview that, “General Hospital, maybe any soap opera, is the best job in Hollywood.” He also added that there are “No better fans than General Hospital fans. You guys are the most loyal, incredible fans. Even when I do bad scenes, you think they're great.”
You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.
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