General Hospital
GH's Maurice Benard to Star In New Film, "The Ghost And The Whale"!
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
After two decades of playing loveable mobster, Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital, Daytime Emmy winner, Maurice Benard is getting a wonderful opportunity to star in a feature film role, something that the actor has been eager to do! The film is titled The Ghost And The Whale and will be shot this January! And, according to ABC Soaps In Depth, here is what we know about the upcoming feature: “The story is about a man who goes through a spiritual journey after his wife dies mysteriously at sea and he’s accused of her murder.”
Executive Producing the film is Benard’s wife, Paula Benard, and the Gaudioso Twins, known for their work in Duke and the Medium. In fact, Anthony Gaudioso said of Benard, “I believe in Maurice Benard and am intrigued by him. It will be exciting to see what this fantastic veteran brings to the character.”
Maurice admitted it is difficult to find work and break out of the soap world for he and many of his colleagues: “We all know it’s tough, especially when you’ve been on a soap for as long as I have. In terms of trying to break out, nobody really cares about soaps. Within the soap world, it’s the greatest job in the world. But for me, it will be tough unless somebody gives me that break. I believe that this film is that break.”
So soapers, that brings us to the age old question, why can’t soap stars get a break outside of the genre? Identifiable for one role and that is all casting directors and execs think they can play? Or, is it still the poor step-child of the industry syndrome? Whatever the case, we are happy for Maurice, who has the acting chops to chew the scenery with any material he is given!
General Hospital
GH’s Maurice Benard Launches ‘State of Mind’ Website
Over the weekend, General Hospital’s Maurice Benard (Sonny Coinrthos) had been teasing on social media that he was about to debut on Sunday. Well, it’s here! Benard has launched his brand new website, MB’s State of Mind (www.mbstateofmind.com).
On the site homepage is Benard’s mission statement. The two-time Daytime Emmy-winner expressed: “State of Mind to me means being 100% present, feeling completely at peace inside of you, not letting your thoughts control your life and always looking for ways to be the best that you can be.”
The new site features merchandise including:’State of Mind” t-shirts in various colors, as well as way to pre-order Maurice’s upcoming memoir, Nothing General About it. In addition, Benard shares his “Sunday Sessions” in a special section, as well as his upcoming tour dates, with more content to come.
Maurice released a video talking about how ‘State of Mind’ came to him one night following an anxiety attack.
As many know, Benard is a mental health advocate having been very open about his own struggles with mental illness over the years, and how he wants to continue to dispel the stigma of those who battle with it.
The new site offers links to three organizations close to Maurice: Nami (National Alliance of Mental Health), Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, and the International Bipolar Foundation.
Maurice released a video talking about how ‘State of Mind’ came to him one night following an anxiety attack. Watch it below.
Make sure to check out Benard’s new site, and let us know if you might be picking up one of the “State of Mind” shirts for yourself via the comment section below.
General Hospital
General Hospital’s Cynthia Watros Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’
Friday’s episode of General Hospital combined with Tuesday’s episode of the ABC daytime drama series, saw Daytime Emmy-winner, Cynthia Watros, run through the gamut of emotions in her portrayal of the duped Nina Reeves on her wedding day and the aftermath.
Watros, who made Annie Dutton of Springfield and Guiding Light one of the most memorable soap roles of all-time, showed GH viewers why she is just THAT good! We have always said that Cynthia can play: drama, romance, torture, cray-cray, heartbreak all rolled-into-one; especially when given the material.
Courtesy/ABC
In story, after part of the secret is out that Sasha (Sofia Matteson) is not really Nina’s bio-daughter – Nina, who has had everything she believed in fall in on her, tries to regain her strength to go back to Wyndemere to face Valentin, and move out of his house. Once there to get her things, Nina tells Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) that where she goes is no longer his business.
Valentin admits that he was looking for her daughter which caused this whole situation, but he also does not admit his part in the Sasha cover-up and that he was the one paying her to portray Nina’s daughter. He even goes so far to insist that Sasha’s actions were all her own. Nina still does not believe him. After she packs her bag, and heads for the door. Valentin tells her that his life is meaningless without her. Nina basically says, “True, that” in so many words … and makes her exit.
Next, with sunglasses on, Nina returns to the workplace at Crimson where she finds Sasha with Michael (Chad Duell) and Lucy (Lynn Herring). She calls security and tells them all to get out. Sasha then spins a yarn, much to the chagrin of the audience, knowing that if she implicates Liesl (Kathleen Gati) and Valentin, Nina would be devastated. So, Sasha says she acted alone and faked being Nina’s daughter, when she was contacted by her attorney, and she was in cahoots with the guy … until he suddenly died! What!? Nina looks very suspicious… and throws back that how would Sasha know how to change three DNA test results. Sasha had an answer for that – she had a friend who works in a lab do it. Nina still believes she could not have done this alone without Valentin. Then, in a heartbreaking speech, Watros as Nina shares how she has lost everything: her daughter, her marriage, hope she even had a daughter in the first place, and the list goes on.
Courtesy: ABC
And … let’s not forget Tuesday’s nuptials, which we gave our review and recap previously here. It is there that Nina is first blindsided, and the betrayal, rage, and hurt displayed by Watros was all top-notch. Here is Nina finally marrying the man she loves, whom she had to allow herself to come to trust all over again so she could be with him, even with all of the warning signs around her. Not only does she have Lulu (Emme Rylan) spoil her nuptials with exposing the secret of Sasha, but then has to process the deception which means to her that maybe she never had the child she so desperately wanted and believed she had all along.
Courtesy/ABC
The Friday cliffhanger though posed an upcoming intriguing scene. Ava (Maura West) showed up with a bottle of booze to commiserate with Nina at Crimson (The same woman who Nina literally ripped the baby right out her and kidnapped it in a heinous revenge plot). Will these two wronged woman team up? Will there be hell to pay? That is yet to be seen, but without a doubt, Cynthia Watros is Michael Fairman TV’s ‘Power Performance of the Week’.
Let us know if you agree with our pick via the comment section below, and what you thought about Cynthia’s work in these key episodes.
General Hospital
James Patrick Stuart Finally Gets His Photo In The Hallways at General Hospital: Watch What Happens!
Where has James Patrick Stuart’s (Valentin Cassadine) photo been all this time from the dressing room area at General Hospital? Well, looks like we may have the answer to that question!
In a brand new video ditty posted by the folks at GH, Stuart is seen combing the hallways looking for his portrait along with the other major stars of the ABC daytime drama series .. problem is … it’s MIA! Something James takes notice off.
Then, in a time-jump (LOL), Stuart finally gets his big moment when he officially joins the ranks of the cast with his photo being unveiled right next to Maurice Benard’s (Sonny) picture.
The tweet accompanying the video relates: “Contrary to Valentin’s opinion… @japastu is having the best week ever.” Of course, the tweet refers to Stuart’s character who has just had a disaster-filled wedding to Nina (Cynthia Watros)
Watch what happens below.
Then let us know what you thought of the clip and how much you enjoy the talents of JPS in Port Charles via the comment section below.
Contrary to Valentin’s opinion… @japastu is having the best week ever. #GH pic.twitter.com/4ezYJTU6LE
— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) October 9, 2019
Y&R’s Eric Braeden Lip-Syncs For A Good Cause
B&B’s Matthew Atkinson Talks On Thomas’ Vendetta With Brooke & Playing The Manipulative Bad Boy Of The Forrester Clan
AMBITIONS Returns With All-New Episodes In November
Felicity Huffman Reports To Prison To Serve Sentence For College Admissions Scandal
DAYS Camila Banus Talks Stabi’s Heartbreaking Love Story; Matthew Ashford Melissa Reeves Chat On JnJ Reunion On ‘Inside Salem: Days of our Lives Podcast’
Christel Khalil To Appear On Upcoming Episode Of Y&R
GH’s Maurice Benard Launches ‘State of Mind’ Website
General Hospital’s Cynthia Watros Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’
DYNASTY Ups Four To Series Regulars As Season Three Kicks-Off
Drew Barrymore Daytime Talker A Go: Set For Launch 2020
General Hospital’s Cynthia Watros Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’
GH’s Maurice Benard Launches ‘State of Mind’ Website
James Patrick Stuart Finally Gets His Photo In The Hallways at General Hospital: Watch What Happens!
GENERAL HOSPITAL: After Learning The Truth About Sasha; Nina Leaves Her Wedding To Valentin … With Jax
B&B’s Matthew Atkinson Talks On Thomas’ Vendetta With Brooke & Playing The Manipulative Bad Boy Of The Forrester Clan
GH’s Genie Francis Talks Laura Then and Now on ‘A Spoonful Of Paolo’
Christel Khalil To Appear On Upcoming Episode Of Y&R
DYNASTY Ups Four To Series Regulars As Season Three Kicks-Off
Y&R’s Elizabeth Hendrickson Expecting First Child
Crystal Hunt and Donna Mills Headline New PureFlix Streaming Comedy Series, ‘Mood Swings’
GH’s Maurice Benard Launches ‘State of Mind’ Website
James Patrick Stuart Finally Gets His Photo In The Hallways at General Hospital: Watch What Happens!
GH’s Genie Francis Talks Laura Then and Now on ‘A Spoonful Of Paolo’
CW’s DYNASTY Season Three Preview
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke is “Slap” Happy … And Don’t We Love It?
DAYS Kate Mansi Talks ‘Chad & Abby in Paris’ With KTLA Morning News
GH’s James Patrick Stuart Performs “My Dear” As Valentin Serenades Nina
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Brooke Bitch-Slaps Thomas!
DOOL App New Fall Season Promo: News Shows, Returning Favorites, More Backstage Content
GENERAL HOSPITAL: “He’s The Most Hated Man In Port Charles”
-
General HospitalOctober 12, 2019General Hospital’s Cynthia Watros Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’
-
General HospitalOctober 13, 2019GH’s Maurice Benard Launches ‘State of Mind’ Website
-
General HospitalOctober 10, 2019James Patrick Stuart Finally Gets His Photo In The Hallways at General Hospital: Watch What Happens!
-
General HospitalOctober 9, 2019GENERAL HOSPITAL: After Learning The Truth About Sasha; Nina Leaves Her Wedding To Valentin … With Jax
-
InterviewsOctober 16, 2019B&B’s Matthew Atkinson Talks On Thomas’ Vendetta With Brooke & Playing The Manipulative Bad Boy Of The Forrester Clan
-
General HospitalOctober 10, 2019GH’s Genie Francis Talks Laura Then and Now on ‘A Spoonful Of Paolo’
-
The Young and the RestlessOctober 14, 2019Christel Khalil To Appear On Upcoming Episode Of Y&R
-
DynastyOctober 11, 2019DYNASTY Ups Four To Series Regulars As Season Three Kicks-Off
Leave a Reply
don’t know if I necessarily agree with Benard. many great actors had their start in the soaps and went on to successful careers in the film industry as well as in prime time…and several film actors conversely wanted to and have appeared on soaps. I think it depends on how the actor markets himself, his agent, etc. Another factor might be how many hours/days he/she is required to be on set for the soap. there are those who seem to juggle their schedule a bit more…or take time off to do other things. with all this said, I’m not in the industry….but it’s the way it appears to me.
What you said is true for soap actors who move on after a couple years, but for those who play the same character for decades, it’s does seem difficult for them to move outside the industry.
Yes it is , movie people just dont take soap actors seriously enough .
It’s a branding but he must try.
Well it is true and not true and these last years it is less and less true actually.
Also the fact that most of the time movie industry don’t watch these soaps and therefore don’t know these soap actors can be an advantage because it is the point: they don’t know them and their ‘iconic’ roles and their soaps and can be able to see them fit the role for their movies and not typecasting them because they saw them for years in a particularly role. And yep it depends of the actor connections, how he/her markets him/herself, his/her agent, publicist and being here at the right place at the right moment..daytime soap opera is a medium a bit ignored but still lot’s of soap actors know prime time directors, actors, producers so they can do it if they work for it..but yep the soap schedule is also a major obstacle..but more and more recently soap actors are able to break out to prime time, same thing for prime time actors who become more and more movie stars now.
So happy for Maurice glad to see work coming his way. With the hard work that daytime actors do you would think nighttime & film would welcome people that know their lines and are reliable. Very rarely hear about temper tantums in daytime. I watch Castle & NCIS partly because daytime is working at night and they are well done shows.
Michael Weatherly star of NCIS is an ex-soap actor (by the way, his ex and mother of his childs the woman playing Victoria right now on Y&R) ;Hollywood is a little world, many prime time (and even film actors now) actors come from daytime soaps.
I’m seeing more & more big screen stars coming to television, (steady work) & vise versa. I think it is unfair that most soap stars get stereotyped in their work because they actually work steady hours and most likely have more actual time put into acting than big screen actors that do movies. Seems like newcomers get a better chance at getting a part on the big screen than soap stars, who have a lot more acting experience; so unfair. Why not give soap stars a big screen…So glad to see Maurice Bernard get his opportunity on the big screen. I’ve been watching him since he started on General Hospital I guess it depends on who you know in the industry.
I am totally thrilled for Maurice! I think him being a main player on a Soap for so long has made the jump difficult for him!
Tony Geary once said if you stay in a daytime role too long it does identify you their are a lot of great actors in the film industry that came from soaps, that is why Geary back in 1999 told Johnathan Jackson if you do want to go on to films don’t stay to long. Hope it works out for Maurice Benard .
For Geary it is a bit different i think, he is known outside of soaps for being a soap star with his fame from Luke and Laura..but long time soap actors can do it, it is maybe a bit hard but they can do it..Susan Lucci is now working on a prime time show created by Desperate Housewives creator and actually her big fame as a soap royalty known outside of soaps helped her in her case and she knows the right people and knows how to market herself, Deidre Hall had a sitcom for two years before she came back on Days so it is not impossible even for longtime soap actors, Ali Sweeney is the host of a prime time tv show for years now while still playing Sami on Days and soon she will be on a tv movie, Jonathan Jackson came back on GH recently and still he just left and has now booked a major part on a new prime time tv show who gets lot’s of buzz. And yep majority of prime time, movie actors who start on soaps doesn’t last long on these soaps in order to breat out but for long time soap actors it is not impossible, another example Thorsten Kaye is now playing on a prime time show with Angelica Huston and he is not a young actor..so everything seems possible, not easy but not impossible. Another example Trevor St John just did a movie last year who got lot’s of praise in indy festivals ect..
I agree with you. However, I wonder what Anthony Geary is working on when he leaves GH intermittently. Susan Lucci has done numerous television movies. Jonathan Jackson has done several movies (a couple on the big screen) and on the vice versa many actors have come from big screen to television and of course many have left daytime soaps to do movies & night time soaps & series.
I am soooo very happy for Maurice Benard – he is such a talented actor and deserves a try at a show outside the soap genre. I wish him and all connected with this film – The Ghost and The Whale – the best of luck!!! Maurice’s dimples don’t hurt his chances either!!!!! LOL!!!!!
I think it is great and i agree with a post made before. You thik that soap stars would be in high demand. They have to learn a lot of scripts and do it fast so i think they would be the ideal people to go to for movies. Im glad for MB i love him on GH. Good luck to him and the project.
Good news for MB! I’m not sure why it’s so hard for some of the hardest working, most talented actors to get jobs outside of daytime. It should be the opposite because they know how to bring it home under time and budget constraints that should make them desirable to any movie producer. They may be too closely identified with their soap star roles. I’m just very grateful that I can still watch GH and hope to see OLTL & MC back in some form some day. Kudos to you, Maurice!
It has always been a shame that there seems to be a stigma with actors whose resume is as a soap actor. Nowhere else in the entertainment field will you find a job that is more difficult than working on a soap. They work such long hours and are required to remember miles of dialogue every day. Most other so-called actors would never be able to handle it!
I would put Soap actors up against any big name stars anytime. You don’t get any better than Maurice Bernard, Steve Burton, Roger Howarth, Deidre Hall or numerous other daytime stars. When they can keep an audience interested for years What more do you want. You can keep your Brad Pitt’s, Tom Cruise’s, Angelina Jolie’s I will take Steve Burton’s stares. He says more dialogue with his eyes than most actors say in an entire movie. Long live our beloved daytime STARS.
Well i am not sure about Steve Burton..to me he is quite lifeless on-screen whereas Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie have real charisma..and to be a movie star you has to have charisma but Steve tried years before and he did a movie who was quite high profile and soon he will work with James Franco (who also has real charisma which explained his success for a big part) on a new project so you never know..But Roger Howarth i agree with you he has the ‘it’ on-screen, the charisma so i don’t get he did not become more successful in other mediums than soap because he did not try very hard..i mean after OLTL he did continue with another soap and now GH whereas he could have got prime time and films..
Good luck Maurice you are a fantastic actor and I can’t wait to see your new movie. I can’t believe that people who who make movies can’t see how talented the actors are form the soaps really are. if I could I would choose a soap opera actor over the others any day.
I know he was in a movie playing Desi Arnez a while back, but looking at his filmography, it says he’s been in 7 movies none of which i’ve heard of, 3 TV movies (one was that Lucy/Desi movie), 4 soaps (AMC, GH and the two offshoot GH soaps, and 1 time roles on 2 other tv shows…
he’s a good actor, but looking at the list, i’d say it’s past time to change agents! Getting a commercial (or a few!) would get him some great exposure too — he’s not too hard on the eyes! 😉
of course being on GH and it’s intense scheduling, he would have a movie schedule nearby that could work around the GH schedule – or take a break from GH, which is difficult if the fans are in charge! te he he
Maurice Benard ?
Have we all gone insane?
When is the movie TheGhost and the Whale going to be on. I really want to see it. Is it T.V. or theatre?
Nancy
I am so excited to see this film. I won’t wish you good luck, the film is already a success. I can’t for August 1st to see the screening. My son, Bryan McKinley plays Mitch and the Guadioso Twins are fabulous! I hope this film launches your new career…………..
when can we buy a dvd or whatever of The Ghost and The Whale. Idearly love sonny on G.H.Sonny don’t leave G.H.yet. I hope Kate Sullivan comes back and be a couple on G.H.You guys are HOT”’You have a wonderful family.
I’ve watched GH a long time and Sonny is GH. However I can see why he wants to try something different. Maurice is a great actor, he is sure to succeed in another phase of Entertainment. How could he not be noticed with those dimples, sparkling eyes and all his seductive looks and generally Good Eye Candy….