Maurice Benard opens up about playing Mike on General Hospital

Years ago, he might not have been as receptive to playing amnesiac Mike, but General Hospital star Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) says he now sings a different tune.

General Hospital has felt a bit different since Port Charles mobster Sonny Corinthos was presumed dead at the end of 2020, mostly because his iconic portrayer, Maurice Benard, has been playing a totally different character -- Mike (who is actually Sonny with amnesia).

In a new interview with Soap Opera Digest, Benard reveals that had the story been pitched to him during his early days on GH, he might not have been as accepting of it as he is now.

"These days, I say, 'Don't tell me story. I don't need to hear it, I'll just do it,'" he shares. "Years ago, it was different; I was all, like, crazy, and I wouldn't do this, I wouldn't do that. Now, I pretty much do anything. And when Frank [Valentini, executive producer] first told me about this story, I said, 'Okay! I'm cool with it.'"

Benard enthuses that the best thing about the Mike storyline is that he's been able to explore how to bring a different character to life in a believable way -- which he says has been all the easier due to the sharp acting skills of his current costars Joyce Guy (Phyllis) and Rif Hutton (Lenny). However, he's just as eager to see the return of Sonny as many viewers are.

"[The fans] don't want anything but Sonny; they're like, 'You're all right doing what you're doing, the acting's pretty good, Mike's all right, but we want Sonny back!'" Benard jokes before sharing that he relates. "Yesterday, I was like, 'Damn, I wish I was Sonny!' But it's a good change."

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For more from Benard about his experience playing Mike, check out SOD's full article here.

How do you feel about Maurice Benard's work as Mike? How eager are you to see Sonny finally regain his memories? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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