Maurice Benard
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Daytime Emmy Award winning Actor Maurice Benard joined the cast of
General Hospital in the role of Sonny Corinthos in August 1993. He
briefly left the show for a year-long hiatus in December 1998. For his
portrayal, Mr. Benard received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead
Actor in 2003. He was also nominated in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006 and
2011.
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, he gleaned an education in the open job
market after high school. He began modeling in his early twenties.
Following that, Mr. Benard took up acting in numerous theatrical
productions in the Bay area.
After auditioning for a role on the ABC drama All My Children, Mr.
Benard was cast as Nico Kelly. Two years later, he struck out to find
new challenges and moved to Los Angeles, where he was 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.
Mr. Benard has been a popular voice in the battle against bipolar
disorder. He has been very open about his personal battle with the
illness, appearing on television programs such as The View,
Entertainment Tonight, and Oprah. He has been featured in People and LA
Life Magazines. He also began working with the National Mental Health
Association (NMHA) on the "Bipolar Disorder: Do You Know It?" campaign
to help educate Americans about the importance of recognizing the signs
and symptoms of bipolar disorder.
General Hospital in the role of Sonny Corinthos in August 1993. He
briefly left the show for a year-long hiatus in December 1998. For his
portrayal, Mr. Benard received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead
Actor in 2003. He was also nominated in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006 and
2011.
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, he gleaned an education in the open job
market after high school. He began modeling in his early twenties.
Following that, Mr. Benard took up acting in numerous theatrical
productions in the Bay area.
After auditioning for a role on the ABC drama All My Children, Mr.
Benard was cast as Nico Kelly. Two years later, he struck out to find
new challenges and moved to Los Angeles, where he was 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.
Mr. Benard has been a popular voice in the battle against bipolar
disorder. He has been very open about his personal battle with the
illness, appearing on television programs such as The View,
Entertainment Tonight, and Oprah. He has been featured in People and LA
Life Magazines. He also began working with the National Mental Health
Association (NMHA) on the "Bipolar Disorder: Do You Know It?" campaign
to help educate Americans about the importance of recognizing the signs
and symptoms of bipolar disorder.