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Complex, confident and wise, Sonny Corinthos has taken his hard-earned
experience as a street hustler and transformed himself into one of the most
powerful figures in Port Charles. Actor Maurice Benard brings his own
deeply personal experiences to the portrayal of Sonny by adding color,
menace and seduction to an already intricate character. He first appeared
in the role on August 13, 1993 and recently returned to General Hospital in
December of 1998 after a year-long hiatus.
For his portrayal, Benard received a 1997 Emmy Award nomination for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series. He also received an
Emmy nomination in 1996 for Outstanding Lead Actor. During the same year,
Benard received the Outstanding Lead Actor trophy at the nationally
televised Soap Opera Awards ceremony.
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 20s. Following that, Benard took up acting in numerous theatrical
productions in the Bay area.
After auditioning for a role on the ABC daytime drama, All My Children,
Benard was cast as Nico Kelly. Two years later, Benard struck out to find
new challenges and moved to Los Angeles, where he was soon cast as the
lead in the much-publicized TV movie, Lucy and Desi: Before the Laughter.
He later added a pivotal role in the feature film, Ruby, to several other
prominent film and television credits.
Benard lives in the Hollywood Hills area of Southern California. He enjoys
the martial arts, working out and playing host to a menagerie of dogs and
cats. Maurice and his wife, Paula, are the proud parents of daughters
Cailey Sofia and Cassidy Rose.
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