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GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Pay Tribute to Maurice Benard on His 25th Anniversary (EXCLUSIVE)

By Chris Eades

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August 13 marked Maurice Benard’s 25th anniversary playing Sonny Corinthos on GENERAL HOSPITAL, and of course such a momentous occasion had to be celebrated properly. In fact, they had a big party for the actor on the GH set where the cast and crew actually managed to surprise Benard as he turned the corner!

Obviously Benard is loved and respected by his castmates, so we thought we’d get some of them to open up about the actor and help celebrate his incredible milestone. And they not only shared the love, they also talked about his love of reality television, how Sonny really got his start, his boxing parties, and… how great he smells!

Hear what the stars of GH had to say about Benard and his 25 years in Port Charles in our special gallery below!

To truly celebrate Benard’s 25 years as GH’s Sonny, you’ll want to get your hands on our special coffee table book full of memories, vintage photos, and more! Click here for more information on this special edition collectible and how to buy a copy for yourself! And for more on your favorite GH stars, keep reading the ABC edition of Soaps In Depth magazine!

Love GH? Be sure to join our We Love General Hospital Facebook group to chat about all the latest storylines and juicy gossip! 

More from ABC Soaps In Depth

Maurice Benard Reflects on His 25 Years on GH (EXCLUSIVE)

Maurice Benard Celebrates His Wedding Anniversary With a Special Message to His Wife, Paula

Tamara Braun Wants to Work More With Maurice Benard on GH (EXCLUSIVE)

  1. Maurice Benard Tony Geary

    Jim Warren

    Anthony Geary (ex-Luke)

    “After working with Mo for a year with him playing little more than Luke’s sidekick, I knew he was being wasted and deserved more. I told him he needed a life beyond that of Luke’s buddy and encouraged him to meet with the GH producer and writers to request they develop his character through a story of his own. He did. They did. The rest is history. You’re welcome.”

  2. Laura Wright

    Jim Warren

    Laura Wright (Carly)     

    “The thing people don’t know about Maurice is that he’s hilarious. He’s such a reality show [fan]... You think he’s going to be all deep, you know... Sundance, movies. He’s like, ‘Did you watch THE BACHELOR?’ He loves the Kardashians. It’s so funny. I’ll tell you one of my favorite things about Maurice... It’s when we’re all together, and Chad [Duell, Michael] is on set, and Bryan [Craig, ex-Morgan] was on set, and Dom[inic Zamprogna, ex-Dante]. When all the boys were on set, our family, and we all started picking on Chad. Or Maurice... That’s my favorite part... being part of the Corinthos family. Sometimes we get in trouble because you can’t stop laughing."

  4. Bryan Craig Maurice Benard

    Jim Warren

    Bryan Craig (ex-Morgan)     

    “Maurice has had my back and supported me through many things when I was at GH. He stood up for a lot of my ideas, and is just an amazingly talented, kind and giving person with a lovely family. His wife, Paula, is just so incredibly kind and supportive, and all his kids are just extremely cool and good people. I love everything about Maurice Benard. Here’s to 25 years of your talent. Cheers, my good friend.” 

  5. Maurice Benard Steve Burton

    Jim Warren

    Steve Burton (Jason)     

    “It truly is a blessing that I’ve known Maurice for all of his 25 years on GH. As a friend, a mentor and as an actor, he has made a huge impact in my life. Maurice graciously gave me his guidance and his time when I needed it most. I am grateful that we’ll be friends for life — or at least the next 25 years!” 

  6. Maurice Benard Kin Shriner

    Jim Warren

    Kin Shriner (Scotty)

    “Congratulations to Maurice for bringing something really special to GH for 25 years. He’s so passionate about everything he does — hard to believe he’s hung in for so long! Maurice and I are basically total opposites, so that lends itself to why we’re good friends. He makes me laugh every day, sometimes intentionally. I look forward to being right here with him for the next 25 years, too!”

  8. Kelly Monaco

    Jim Warren

    Kelly Monaco (Sam)     

    “I love Maurice, and I have appreciated coming in to work for 18 years and seeing his face. Maurice, you’re one of the best, and I love you a lot.” 

  9. Chad Duell Maurice Benard

    Jim Warren

    Chad Duell (Michael)     

    “I consider myself lucky to have been able to spend these last eight years sharing the screen with Maurice.” 

  10. Maurice Benard Drew Garrett

    Jim Warren

    Drew Garrett (ex-Michael)     

    “Maurice Benard is the LeBron James of daytime television, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to play on the same team. Cheers to 25 years and counting! Keep breaking ankles, man.”

  12. Maurice Benard Derk Cheetwood

    Jim Warren

    Derk Cheetwood (Max)     

    “I’m lucky and honored to have been able to call Maurice my friend and mentor. His professionalism and dedication not only to his career but to his family and friends has been a constant inspiration to me. I’ve had the great pleasure of being friends with Maurice and his beautiful family for almost 20 years.” 

  13. Maurice Benard Lisa Lo Cicero

    Jim Warren

    Lisa LoCicero (Olivia)     

    “Every actor should be so lucky as to share the screen with Maurice at least once. And I wonder if there is another performer to so totally captivate viewers for 25 consecutive years in one role — a truly amazing feat, but he’s pulled it off. Also, he smells great.” 

  14. Maurice Benard Jonathan Jackson

    Jim Warren

    Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky)

    “I absolutely loved working with Maurice. I directed a short film years ago with my brother, Richard, called Crystal Clear, and Maurice was kind enough to be a part of it. It was a joy to work with him in that capacity as well. I want to congratulate him on all of his incredible work over the last 25 years! I’m so grateful to have shared even a small part of that journey.” 

  16. Tamara Braun

    Jim Warren

    Tamara Braun (Kim; ex-Carly)     

    “I think Maurice has meant a tremendous amount to the daytime community. He is loved by the fans, respected by his peers as an actor and is an advocate for mental-health awareness. For GH, he created a complex, layered character that, in someone else’s hands, could have been written off the canvas in a couple of years. Maurice gave a hardened mobster a vulnerability that people could relate to. He is the mobster with a heart of gold. Happy anniversary, Mo.” 

  17. Maurice Benard Jacklyn Zeman

    Jim Warren

    Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie)     

    “When Maurice joined the cast of GH 25 years ago, it was immediately apparent that Sonny was a force to be reckoned with. Over the years, the impact of Maurice’s performances continues to inspire the writers to shift the focus of the storylines to support and highlight Sonny as a central character. That is a powerful opportunity. And with that gift comes the constant responsibility of dedication to deliver. Maurice steps up and brings it, always. Congratulations, Maurice, on 25 years of excellence. Warmest, best wishes for your continued success.” 

  18. Drew Cheetwood

    Jim Warren

    Drew Cheetwood (Milo)     

    “Some of my first hangouts with Mo were his epic boxing parties! He treated everyone as if they were kings and queens at those things. We shadow-sparred for an hour once at one of these events around his property. I love sparring with Mo, both off and on screen. Great partner!” 

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