Why Sonny leaving General Hospital could be inevitable

Actor Maurice Benard has been playing Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital since 1993. As the only actor to play the role, it is arguably his most well-known.

Recently, hints of Benard leaving have fans wondering if his time in Port Charles is nearing an end. Soaps She Knows reported an exchange the actor had on Facebook in November 2023 when a “fan” suggested that he retire already, and Benard clapped back, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Benard also issued a warning about impostors, a situation many celebrities deal with:

However, it’s not the first time that he has indicated that he has had thoughts about leaving the show. On his live State of Mind on YouTube program, he spoke of the pressures of acting and how the industry has changed since he was younger. Benard indicated that his goal is to be able to only focus on his podcast one day. “There’s less pressure here for me,” Benard explained, and I can still work with the mental health. But acting…I don’t know when, but soon enough, I’ll be done with. Sorry. I hate to say that, but it’s the truth.”

In an exclusive interview with SoapCentral in May 2024, Benard spoke of State of Mind fondly.

“My shows are very interesting. They all turn into this quiet kind of mental health talk, and General Hospital, of course. There’s both, but there’s a lot of mental health." - Maurice Benard of his State of Mind podcast, exclusively to Soap Central.

Benard added that the show always ends beautifully, with people sharing whatever they want to talk about regarding mental health. "It’s a spiritual connection inside that room, always,” he said.

On and off General Hospital, Maurice Benard advocates for mental health awareness

The 61-year-old actor, who has bipolar disorder (as does his character, Sonny), recently had a serious health scare. He uses State of Mind to discuss mental health and shares that he suffers from extreme anxiety. Recently, he said his stress level was so elevated, he had thoughts of leaving the show.

According to Sportskeeda, Benard said he hadn’t been making his mental health a priority and wasn’t going to therapy. Additionally, his wife was out of the country, and without his usual support system, he felt that his anxiety intensified to the point that he couldn’t control it.

General Hospital showrunner Frank Valentini, who Benard called “nothing but incredible,” gave him a couple of weeks off, but he knew that if he was going to be gone longer, they would have had to find a replacement for his role of Sonny. Benard returned to work after a brief stint in a treatment facility. He reminded viewers on State of Mind to ask for help from others and to rely on them for their support to get through tough times and to keep going.

Port Charles without Sonny?

Fans have mixed feelings on what General Hospital would be like without Sonny. While a recast is an option if Benard actually left, most comments by long-time viewers appreciate his work and dedication to the show and only want the best for him in his personal life—and couldn't imagine a recast.

Maurice Benard’s mental health issues are not new to the show. Behind the scenes, he has been dealing with them for the 30-plus years that he has been in Port Charles. In 2023, while celebrating his 30th anniversary of being on General Hospital, he told Soap Opera Digest about the beginning days of being on the show and that he couldn’t hide his inner turmoil on- and off-screen. “I could not help his pain from coming out. I was going through a breakdown when I first started and playing this dark character was affecting me,” Benard said.

Benard credits then-Executive Producer Wendy Riche and then-Producer/Director Shelley Curtis for saving him and letting him stay, despite his ongoing struggles. He got choked up as he added, "GH is not just a job. It’s like my second family."

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There has been no official word from General Hospital or Maurice Benard that they are planning for his departure. He has mentioned on his podcast before that the thoughts of leaving and staying come and go in waves.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.

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