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GH's Maurice Benard Talks Sonny Drama, Modeling To Acting & Mental Health On A Spoonful Of Paolo!

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: A Spoonful of Paolo

Photo: A Spoonful of Paolo

Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has continued to rack up rave reviews for his performances over the last few months as Sonny attempts to cope with the death of his son Morgan.

The storyline has provided Benard with material worthy of his talents.  Now, in a brand new sit-down video interview at his home, Maurice talks with Paolo Presta on his online series, A Spoonful of Paolo!

Presta, whose life changed in 2005 thanks to Oprah Winfrey when his dream came true to come to Hollywood, and got a part on General Hospital. shared a throwback moment with Benard, when he recalls Maurice delivering the news that he would get to be on the ABC soap opera.

Years later, Paolo now interviews Maurice and a wide variety of topics are discussed.  From Benard’s 23 years as Sonny, to his early years as a model-turned-actor, to bringing attention to mental health issues, in particular bipolar disorder, and more, Maurice offers more insight to the man who has played the loveable mobster on and off the screen.

At the end of the episode, Presta tests Maurice’s knowledge with some rapid-fire questions.  Watch the interview after the jump. Then. let us know what you thought of it, and your favorite moment contained in it, via the comment section below!

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GH has been too morbid and depressing, not a good thing to bring all that downtrodden overly sad and junk into one’s life, daily for months.
It is not entertaining it is depressing and not all that mentally healthy to be tapped with dark emotions over and over again, every day for a length of time.
GH has not balance– no lightness, happiness, laughter it has been total mentally draining and filled with dark..

My family can’t believe I watch this stuff lol ..
I am the Only one to ever watch soaps.
I’m usually getting feedback because I come from a family of Psychiatrists. (mother, sister, aunt/psychologist and a close uncle)
((I suffered alot growing up LOL))

My favorite; masochists sopapers , luvin to feel the pain .. ahaa!

Anyways.. I miss Ron! I laughed, I had a good time watching..
I am bored to near death with J&S pity parties and doom & gloom ..
I want a good Agatha Christie type mystery that actually has a climatic end.
I’ll take anything that even resembles a surprise shocker cliffhanger. a climatic, anything… Something intriguing!

Guess I’d be wishing in one and — in the other waiting for excitement of a lighter note, and one, just one, good laugh.

Long Live GH !!

Wow that was a great interview with Maurice. He was very down to earth and humble. He is also entertaining/funny to watch. I have always said that I admire him for being an advocate spokesperson for mental health. This interview makes me adore him even more (if that was possible). I also can’t get enough of that gorgeous smile.

I agree with you totally. He is so real, just as he is on the show. Would sure like to have him send some of those dimples my way, but I’ll have to be satisfied in getting them via the TV screen. We love you Maurice/Sonny

Thanks for the reply friend. Maurice is awesome and still has a irresistible smile.

Great interview with Maurice Benard. Love seeing him out of character. Paolo was great too. So enthusiastic . Loved it❤️

The character of Sonny needs to go. He has overstayed his welcome by about 20 years. Nothing against MB…who does what is asked of him. Serial killers like Sonny, Jason, Franco etc. are not entertaining in the least. While on topic…Billy Miller as Jason is a complete and epic fail on every level…from the writing…to his lackluster marbles in mouth portrayal….to the complete lack of chemistry with Kelly Monaco. I cant see Miller sticking around much longer.

completely agree

OMG… I loved this interview!!! Maurice Benard is so awesome! Sonny is my favorite character and has been for over 20 years. Hoping for 20 more years of this awesome character. Can’t wait for Sonny and Carson to reunite. btw… I love the mob!!!!

I LOVED THIS INTERVIEW SOOOOO MUCH MICHAEL!!! Thank you for sharing. It made my day and I love how the host gave you a shout out!

I only come back because bipolor disorder is something i have in common with BM plus we were both born in March…i have struggled with depression much of my life…recent stressful events involving a near death of a family member. illnesses. my father becoming bedridden and early stages of dementia and too much more to mention and the possibility i may end up homeless is a major cause of my struggle with my bipolor disorder-i stopped commenting taking time to deal with all this anf hopefully turn things around-my biggest fear is the homeless part buhopefully i can prevent thatt …i dont get much meds so some days its hard to cope and there have been some more recent stressful situations that havent been helpful…if you know someone who struggles with any form of depression make sure they get help…i wish some of the help and meds they have today was around when i was younger..how much different my life might had been.

My mom has bipolar, so I know what you’re going through and sympathize with you, Jim. The meds do help her stay regulated, but it’s a constant roller coaster ride and battle every day. Unless a person has it themselves or knows someone that does, they have no clue how bad it is. It’s another reason, aside from the fact that he’s a great actor, why I respect and admire Maurice Benard.

All the best to you, Jim. I hope you’re able to get the meds you need. If you’re not, there are programs out there to help with that sort of thing. Nothing wrong with reaching out for some help. Keep your head up, stay strong and keep fighting the good fight, brother!

i try to stay positive but then something else happens and even on meds the stress is overpowering and i have very little hope left,,,

Jim…do you see a therapist? I assume you consult with a psychiatrist who dispenses your meds…but it would be great to have frequent visits with a psychologist or social worker to discuss your worries. Just speaking about things is cathartic. And while they can’t change your life it’s a place to be heard, unburden yourself, release the thoughts that go round and round in your mind. Perhaps a support group, too. Not sure if up you have insurance but their are sliding scale places and probably free clinics, etc. feel better…

Yes…i do but so much keeps happening with our family its been a struggle…and i could even end up homeless if we dont get thinggs straighten out…too loose everything i couldnt take it…id rather not be around great pain most days…hopefully me and my sister will work things out-she keeps getting ill and nearly died a few months ago…her husband and son and she all had heart surgeries…their dog died..my dad had to replace his car…water in the basement destroyed stuff…i briefly thought i had a brain tumor because of a month long headache…my dad fell and is bedridden..i fell and injured my arm and im in…my neice ex boyfriend came to our house and caused a disturbance and i had to call the police,,,its worse than it sounds…im so stressed ive been warned i could have a stroke…now you see why im struggling with depression…

sorry about typos and misplaced words…pain was suppose to come after my arm injury…its the stress

Be well. My thoughts and prayers attend.

Thank you…

I love the interview with Sonny. I really love him on GH, he is one of my most favorite. He does seem so down to earth. Thanks for sharing.

Just a little note to the Sonny haters. Don’t watch the show if you dislike the characters so much. Maybe the green eyed monster has gotten you , do you think?

I hate to be told not to watch something if I hate it. I think some of the viewers have a right to complain about the unevenness of the storylines and the uneveness of airtime of characters. And shouldn’t be told what to do.

Cooks, you have every right to your own opinion regarding a character on GH. I believe Violet was just stating that many of us long time Maurice fans are tired of anti Sonny viewers consistently stating how much they dislike him. Ask yourself why do viewers who dislike him so much continue to read articles written about him. Just so you or someone else can post over and over again how much you don’t like him. At times I don’t like Sonny’s actions, but I don’t make it my mission to leave negative comments all the time. No matter how much I don’t like a character I am still respectful towards the actor who portrays them, and there fans. There have recently been many important storlines on GH that don’t include Sonny.

I taught runway modeling classes in S.F. on Sutter Street at John Casablancas in the early 1980’s. One of the students was Maurice Bernard. I introduced a very young and very good looking Maurice to my agent, Jimmy Grimme. The Grimme Agency signed and represented Maurice where he began his modeling career and was very successful in the S.F. market. Who knew at the time he would play both Ricky Ricardo and Sonny Corinthos on television? Bravo, Maurice!!

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‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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