Mr. Benard's multi-cultural upbringing began in San Francisco where he was born to parents from Nicaragua and San Salvador. Uninspired by the traditional education route, Maurice gleaned an education in the open job market after high school. His dark good looks and intense gaze brought him modeling jobs in his early 20's. Following that, Mr. Benard took up acting in numerous theatrical productions in the Bay area. After auditioning for a role on the ABC-TV daytime drama "All My Children, " Mr. Benard was cast as Nico Kelly--a role tailor-made for him. After two years on "All My Children", Maurice moved to Los Angeles in 1988 where he was soon cast to star in the much-publicized TV movie "Lucy & Desi: Before The Laughter." He later had a pivotal role in the feature film "Ruby", among several other prominent film and television credits. Since August 13, 1993, he has appeared in the role of "Sonny Corinthos" on the ABC-TV Daytime Drama "General Hospital." Complex, confident and wise, Sonny Corinthos has taken his hard-earned experience as an underworld figure and applied it to profes sional, and personal, matters as a high-profile citizen of Port Charles. Actor Maurice Benard brings his own deeply personal experiences, both high and low, to the portrayal of Sonny, adding color, menace and seduction to an already intricate character. "This role is what I do best", Mr. Benard explains. "Sonny is unpredictable. You never know from one second to the next what he's thinking, feeling or planning. He's a man in personal conflict who maintains an outward appearance of calm at all times, at any cost." For his portrayal, Maurice received the Outstanding Lead Actor trophy at this year's nationally televised Soap Opera Awards ceremony. Mr. Benard lives in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. He enjoys the martial arts, working out and enjoying a menagerie of dogs and a cat. Maurice and his wife, Paula, are the proud parents of daughters Cailey Sophia, born in September 1994, and Cassidy Rose.


Was diagnosed with Manic Depression when he was 22 years old and to this day is an advocate for the disease. Is the Spokesperson for the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association. Treats his own manic depression with lithium. He and his wife are major animal lovers with a menagerie of over 30 pets that includes a bulldog named Corleone, 2 cats, snakes, birds, and an aquarium full of exotic fish. He and his wife, Paula recently had their first son, Joshua James on December 5, 2004.