Maurice Benard Bio Wiki Age Wife General Hospital Daughter and Net Worth

Maurice Benard is an American actor. In 1993, he joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Sonny Corinthos. Moreover, Benard briefly left the show for a year in December 1998.

He received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2003 and became nominated in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, and 2011.

Benard was born on March 1, 1963, in San Francisco, California,United States. He is59 years old.

He is a man of average stature and stands at a height of5 ft 9 in(Approx. 1.75 m).

He was born Mauricio Jose Morales in Martinez, California to his parentsMarthaandHumberto Morales. Benard’s mother served as a bank employee while his father was a bakery superintendent. Additionally, he grew up in San Francisco, California and holds an American nationality and is of Salvadorian and Nicaraguan ethnicity.Marvin Benard, a former professional baseball player is his cousin.

Benard is married to his beautiful wifePaula Smith. The couple held their wedding on August 11, 1990. Together, they share three childrenCailey Sofia, Cassidy Rose,andJoshua James. Benard adopted Paula’s sister’s daughter,Heather Rose, after her mother’s death. The family lives in Temecula, California along with their many pets.

On August 13, 1993, Benard started appearing onGeneral Hospital, a daytime soap opera on ABC. He played the fictionalizedSonny Corinthos, a manic depressive mobster Kingpin. Benard made the decision to have the General Hospital writers make his character, Sonny Corinthos because in real life he also suffers from bipolar disorder.

Additionally, he has received many nominations for several Daytime Emmy awards for his role as Sonny Corinthos. He won the Outstanding Lead Actor in 2003, 2019, and 2021, as well as three Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1996, 2003, and 2005.

Benard’s daughterCailey Sofiaheld her wedding with her husband Carlos during the Pandemic in June 2020. The couple celebrated their wedding once again on June 5, 2021. Moreover, the ceremony was attended by their families and friends. Benard had a nervous breakdown during Carlos’ first proposal to Cailey at Disney World.

At the age of 22, Benard became diagnosed withbipolar disorder. He became a spokesperson for the treatment of the disorder with Mental Health America. Benard made the decision to have the General Hospital writers make his character, Sonny Corinthos, who also has the disorder. Moreover, many of the struggles he faces on the show due to the disorder are ones he faced in his own life. Much praise has been given to the show for its realistic depiction.

He earns his wealth through his career. Therefore, he has amassed a fortune over the years. Benard’s estimated net worth is$2 million.

Benard was born on March 1, 1963, thus, he is59 years old.

Benard married his beautiful wifePaula Smithon August 11, 1990. Together, they share four children Cailey Sofia, Cassidy Rose, Heather Rose, and Joshua James. Benard and Paula adopted Paula’s sister’s daughter,Heather Rose, after her mother’s death in 2008.

No. There were rumors that Benard was retiring from General Hospital. In his response Benard replied:

“I think about retiring all the time, but I always honor my contract. General Hospital is my second family, I’m having a great time right now.”