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‘General Hospital’s’ Maurice Benard Opens Up on His ‘State of Mind,’ Sonny and ADA Turner, Co-Stars, All My Children, and Birthday Special Preview (Exclusive)

By Michael Fairman

Published

3 months ago

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Photo: MBenard

Need to Know

  • General Hospital’s Maurice Benard previewed his birthday edition of his mental health series, State of Mind in new interview now on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.
  • Benard teased a major GH scene to come for Sonny Corinthos and his new romantic love interest ADA Turner (Nazneen Contractor),
  • The three-time Daytime Emmy winning star says he would be open to reprising his early soap role of Nico Kelly for the All My Children revival movies for Lifetime in the works fom Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

It’s a big weekend for General Hospital’s Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos). The birthday boy, who turns 63-years-old on Sunday March 1, is celebrating with a very special episode of his mental health You Tube series, State of Mind on the same date.

In it, Benard who is used to interviewing his celebrity and soap star guests, had the situation flipped on him when his TV son, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante, GH) takes over the questioning and Maurice is the guest on his show. Look for Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH) to pop in too! “All in the Family,” State of Mind style!

Meanwhile, on General Hospital, Sonny is inching closer to a romance with ADA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor), as much as she protests and as much as he may have been playing her in the beginning! All this, while Jason (Steve Burton) and Sonny try to figure out how to stop Sidwell and their newest enemy WSB Director Ross Callum (Andrew Hawkes).

Photo: ABC

As a preview for Sunday, and to get the lowdown on the three-time Daytime Emmy winner’s life and times on-screen and off, Maurice visited You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel for a livestream chat on Thursday, February 26 where lots of topic were discussed. Fans also had the opportunity to pose questions to the soap superstar. Here’s what Benard had to say in key takeaways below:

The Oprah Winfrey Show landmark appearance in 2004

Photo: JPI

“I’ve said this before, but I wish I could do it again, only because somebody said to me, ‘Don’t cry on Oprah.’ Showing that vulnerability is what you should do. And so, the whole time on Oprah, I’m trying not to cry. I’m like trying to be cool and stuff. That’s not the way to do it. But I learned my lesson there. That’s why now all I do is cry. If you watch State of Mind. I’m crying and I’m crying. I get vulnerable. I get emotional because I know there are men, even women, but mostly men that can’t. My theory is watch me and I have no problem doing it. It’s not a terrible thing and you should feel good about doing it. That’s what I’ve been doing and I’ll continue to do it. I don’t care.”

State of Mind skit

Photo: SOM

“You have to understand something about this skit. It is ridiculous. Funny as hell. If you are a fan of us (Sonny, Dante and Olivia)  you’re not going to expect what we do here. A lot of overacting. … a lot of good acting. Dom is very funny. Lisa’s just a comedian. So, if you can imagine that all in one, it’s a family affair.”

Rory Gibson as a recast Michael Corinthos

Photo: ABC

“I’ve never seen anybody so quickly come in, and do it as well as he’s done. He’s a good kid, and a sweet kid. Rory is talented and he’s just taken the role and just made it his own. I’ve been there a long time, and I’ve seen people come and go, who can’t do that.”

Another Bipolar storyline for Sonny?

“When I go through things, it takes me a while to get right back up again. I can still act, but now I’m feeling like I can kick your ass, and I’m taking no prisoners. I’m back to that mentality. Now, if you said to me, ‘let’s do a bipolar story,’ I could do it, but it would have to be the greatest story writing because we’ve gone down that road so many times. Give me something like the Alzheimer’s story, and like the one I had, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Sonny and ADA Turner romance 

Photo: ABC

“I keep telling Nazneen and her husband Carlo Rota (Sidwell) that they’re so supportive of all the actors, and it’s not fake, and that says a lot about who they are.  This story between ADA Turner and Sonny is actually pretty good. So, Carly (Laura Wright) can have boyfriends and I’m supposed to be a monk! Now, I’m everyone’s uncle! I’m like, ‘Let’s go, man.’ I think I’ve proven I can do something. As for Nazneen, I think we are a good fit together, and she can very well. Now it’s a matter of how they navigate it. Actually, we’ve got something coming up, that’s pretty intense. It will probably air in the next week. So stay tuned for that.

Who’s zooming who?

“I felt like in the beginning Sonny is playing her. Then, I decided to get her to fall for me, so I can get what I want. Now, whether she’s falling, I’m confused. I don’t know. Sonny doesn’t need to know. But, it would be great if she started falling for Sonny more and more.”

Repetitive themes on the soaps

“How many stories on General Hospital or any soap opera have not been done 10 times over like people coming from the dead? How many times have they done it? It isn’t about how many times it’s been done. It’s whether there’s chemistry or not, and whether it works. But you can’t say, don’t do it because it’s been done. Of course, it’s been done a thousand times. But that’s the truth.”

Steve Burton’s hiatus

Photo: ABC

“I always feel like, especially now for him, he’s doing what’s best for his life and his wife and his kids. So, more power to him. He’ll be back. It’s not forever. So I’m going to miss Jason. I think Sonny always feels safe with Jason, but now he’s got Ricky boy! Rick Hearst (Ric)! For Sonny with his brother, I’m playing like I love him. He’s proven already that I can trust him. Now if he breaks Sonny’s heart …. that’s not good.”

Respect for the late Anthony Geary

Photo: ABC

“I saw Tony Geary (Luke Spencer) in a one-man play. It was literally the best acting I’ve ever seen, ever, anywhere. We were friends and we respected each other. I respected him a great deal, and we did some great stuff together. What made him great was that he could do play anything. He was such a versatile actor. That’s the quality of a great actor. Now I can play quite a bit, but I’m just going to be a gangster (laughs).

All My Children start as Nico Kelly/Lifetime Movie Reboot

Photo: ABC

“It was good in terms of the actors. I met Michael Knight (ex-Tad, now Martin, GH), Susan Lucci (ex-Erica), and Peter Bergman (ex- Cliff, now Jack, Y&R) there. But they didn’t let me act on that show. I mumbled. They would say, ‘Why do you put your hand on your face and why are you taking so long when you talk?’ I said, ‘because that’s what we do in life.’

As for the All My Children reboot and if they brought Nico Kelly back: “Oh, I’d do it. 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have done, but I’d do it.”

WWE’s AJ LEE (AJ Mendez) Mental Health Story

Photo: SOM

“I’m trying to get her on again.” She said, ‘yeah,’ but we have to touch base again. AJ told the story that blew my mind when she was on State of Mind, where she wanted to commit suicide, and she went to a motel. Before she decided to do what she was going to do, she made one last phone call and it saved her life. And I thought, ‘Wow! That’s amazing.'”

Speaking openly

“When I talk about this, I have no problem doing it because my intention is, I need to talk about it more so people can start talking about it. Because what happens is, when we don’t talk about it, and we have a certain judgment on it, we hold that in, and then it gets worse, And then your thoughts are, ‘I can’t take it. I can’t do it anymore. The pain’s too strong.’  You can’t go through another day with that kind of pain, but the reality is you can.  Always have hope that you can get out of it, if I did it, and I’ve done it, anybody could do it.”

You can check out the full conversation with Maurice below..

Drop your birthday wishes via the comment section below for Maurice! Then let us know, are you on-board for a Sonny/ADA Turner romance? Do you like Ric and Sonny becoming closer as brothers? What do you think about the inroads Maurice has made over the last 22 years for raising awareness for mental health? Would you like to see Maurice working with Susan Lucci in the All My Children reboot for Lifetime? Share your thoughts below.

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General Hospital

RATINGS: ‘The Young and the Restless,’ ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Remain No #1 and # 2, ‘General Hospital’ Only Soap to Lose Viewers

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1 hour ago

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May 16, 2026

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The latest Nielsen ratings data is out for the week of April 27-May 1, and three out of the four network daytime dramas posted gains in total viewers, while one showed a loss in audience numbers, which may come as a surprise.

Let’s take a look at the ratings period with data from Soap Opera Network and then provide some context. The Young and the Restless remained as per usual in the top spot coming in at 3,14,000 on average total viewers slightly up +20,000 more eyeballs for the week.

In story, Y&R served up Matt’s plot to blow up the Newmans inside the abandoned gas station on the outskirts of Vegas, Sienna believing she killed Matt, only for him to be revealed alive with a severe contusion on his head by week’s end, Nick going on a bad drug trip thanks to the fentanyl laced with something else via Matt, and Cane and the Winters family learning that he is a donor match to save Malcolm’s life, while Sally got engaged to Billy.

Photo: JPI

FASHION HOUSE PROBLEMS

Y&R’s sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful clocked in with 2,795,000 viewers for the week up +38,000 from the previous ratings period. In story, The Bold and the Beautiful gave viewers; the fallout from Katie’s successful fashion show for her new fashion house, Logan. Dylan continuing to be freaked out. This time when doing her work at Forrester Creations, out from the clothing rack comes somebody that scares her enough to have her let out a blood-curdling scream. In addition, Liam suggested to Hope that she consider coming to work for Logan where she will be appreciated, after Steffy tells her that ‘Hope for the Future’ is back-burnered for now.

General Hospital, which many have considered being the most entertaining on a consistent basis with their storylines, most likely lost some viewers for the week because on Monday April 27, the show was preempted for a special report on the attempted shooting at the White House Correspondence dinner. If viewers did not catch it on Hulu, it aired on the network after Nightline on Tuesday at 1am. In total, GH was the only soap to lose viewers for the ratings week. GH tallied -1,809,000 which is down from the previous week by -168,000.

Photo: ABC

PAYBACK AND A SHOCKING REVEAL

In story that week, Carly’s double life with Brennan and Valentin caught up with her, Michael initiated a strategic plot against Willow, and Josslyn found herself in immediate danger after a run-in with Cassius.

Beyond the Gates, while having two days of the week fully preempted for UEFA Champions League soccer games, actually increased its viewership. BTG tallied 1,655,00 total viewers which also boasted the highest audience gains across any soap adding +42,000. In story, the soap opera spotlighted: Ashley stealing antibiotics to keep Grayson alive, Smitty zeroing in on a possible suspect in the plasma ring, Vernon taking over Martin’s debt to Joey Armstrong, while Kate recognized a name tied to Lynette’s finances.

It should also be noted for the ratings week; The Bold and the Beautiful once again topped Y&R for the top spot in the key Womens 18-49 demo and in the Womens 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates once again bested General Hospital for the 3rd spot.

So, let us know your thoughts on the current ratings picture? Then weigh-in; what soap opera is serving up the best drama right now that is keeping you engaged to catch it every day? Which soap has you the least interested? Drop a comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Would You Be Down With a Dante and Elizabeth Romance?

Published

15 hours ago

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May 15, 2026

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On the Friday, May 15 episode of General Hospital, Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) shared a heartfelt talk on trauma. Dante is so concerned for Rocco (Finn Carr), and how it affects someone for the rest of their life, which is something Elizabeth knows all too well, but got through it.

It all begins when Elizabeth shows up at Dante’s office ready for her date with Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst). How beautiful she looked did not go unnoticed by Dante. When the talked turned to how Dante told Rocco that he knew his son shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), he admits he is scared for his child, because he lost his innocence with the emotional baggage he now must carry forever of shooting someone.

Dante notices how Rocco is becoming more and more withdrawn and he wants to know how to help him. Elizabeth bring up how she can absolutely relate to trauma at a young age, just like Rocco. However for Elizabeth, her trauma came in the form of a brutal rape by Tom Baker. Speaking from experience, Elizabeth details that it was her friends and family like Lucky and Bobbie who helped pull her through. She encourages Dante to continue to show up and be there as support for his son.

Courtesy/ABC

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Next, an officer delivers to Dante the evidence from the pier shooting, which Dante plans on destroying. Before she leaves for her date with Ric, Liz reassured Dante he is doing the right thing to protect Rocco and she has done the same. She has left no record of Rocco’s hospital visit the night of the shooting. Liz leaves for her date.

THE WRONG SUSPECT

Then, Cullum storm troops in to Dante’s office demanding the evidence that the PCPD must have collected at the site of his shooting. Dante says that the evidence must be misfiled in the warehouse, but they will find it. However, Cullum realizes Dante is stalling and lying. Before heading to Dante’s office, Cullum paid a visit to Carly (Laura Wright) and saw a photo of Danny with Jason, triggering him to now believe that Danny may have been the person who shot him in the back on the pier!

Courtesy/ABC

DINING WITH RIC

At dinner at Café Cherie, Ric handed Elizabeth the folder with the priceless piece of artwork he’d purchased for her through Ava. Elizabeth loved it and went over to Ric and planted a kiss on him.

Will GH move Elizabeth into a romance with Dante? Do you think Liz and Dante make a cute couple? After today’s episode, it’s clear they very much like and admire one another. If so, what happens to Liz and Ric’s burgeoning repeat romance? Share your thoughts and picks via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Dante Tells Rocco He Knows He Shot Cullum and Will Protect Son

Published

1 day ago

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May 15, 2026

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In well-played scenes on the Thursday, May 14 episode of General Hospital, Dante (Dominic Zampogna) finally had a talk with his son, Rocco (Finn Carr) informing him that he knows the teen shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

Rocco has dreaded his father finding out, because he is the acting police commissioner of the Port Charles PD and feared his dad will have to arrest him for the crime.

Dante asks Rocco in his own words to recount what happened the night on the pier. He assured his son, he is not going to arrest him and noted there are very extenuating circumstances surrounding the crime.

Courtesy/ABC

FATHER AND SON

Rocco explained how he followed Britt  (Kelly Thiebaud) to the pier. Then, how Cullum attacked Britt. Jason (Steve Burton) showed up and fought with Cullum and how the gun came loose.He remembers the other weapon Cullum pulled out to kill Jason and that’s when he shot him.

Next, Dante explained that he was proud of his son for saving Jason and Britt’s lives. He also tells Rocco that he is very concerned in Britt’s involvement in all of this stemming all the way back to the Five Poppies, and feels she is still tied into everything that is happening.

Dante tells Rocco that nobody else can know about this involvement in the shooting. He also touchingly said, that he is his father, he will protect him. However, Rocco is worried that if the truth came out that he shot Cullum, his dad would be in serious trouble for covering up a crime. Dante tells Rocco, he should not worry about that right now, but he needs to stay in Port Charles so he and his mom can keep him safe.

A SHOCKING CALL

Suddenly, as father and son hug it out, Dante gets a call from Justine (Nazneen Contractor), alerting him to the fact that she just met with Cullum and he is looking for the evidence and the file from his shooting. Dante rolls his eyes, knowing things are about to go from bad to worse, and how is he going to keep his son safe from the evil WSB Director?

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Dominic Zamprogna always delivers a nice counterbalance to the often histrionics of other characters in Port Charles in his portrayal of Dante Falconeri. So that, when Dante breaks or gets emotional, it counts. Finn Carr has continually shined in the storyline as Rocco continues to teeter on the edge of knowing what he has done and being wracked with guilt. Next up has to be Danny learning his brother is the reason Jason was carted away. Stay tuned!

So, what did you think of the scenes between Dante and Rocco? How on earth will Dante keep Rocco safe? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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