Is Maurice Benard Leaving ‘General Hospital’? originally appeared on Parade.
General Hospital fan favorite Maurice Benard has been playing mob boss Sonny Corinthos for 32 years. After three decades on the soap, Benard often gets asked if he has plans to retire.
That was the case when the actor was a guest on the new podcast Soapy, hosted by The Bold and the Beautiful’s Rebecca Budig and Days of Our Lives star Greg Rikaart. Budig wondered if Benard would be playing Sonny when he’s 80 years old.
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The actress used the example of The Young and the Restlessstar Eric Braeden and The Bold and the Beautiful’s John McCook, who are still playing iconic characters in their 80s.
“I don’t know, in all honesty, if I can last that long—and not because I don’t want to. People are going to get mad at me for saying this, but I’m always just going to be honest. I don’t think mentally if I can keep going that long, and I don’t know if I could act on GH if I’m not at least at 90 percent. That’s the truth,” he shared.
The General Hospital star has been open about his mental health struggles. Benard admits he feels that his mental health will dictate when he leaves the show.
“Right now, I’m 62. Maybe another couple of years, three years, and then we’ll see what happens,” Benard stated.
It’s hard to imagine Port Charles without Sonny, but at some point, it will happen. Based on what Benard said, it could be sooner than fans want. For now, though, he’s focused on telling a good story that fans will enjoy.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
Is Maurice Benard Leaving ‘General Hospital’? first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
