Maurice Benard has been part of the fabric of the ABC soap opera since August 13, 1993; now the three-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning star has opened up about which of his many storylines was his favorite.
Back in 2018, Sonny Corinthos’ father Mike Corbin (Max Gail) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and over the course of the following two years, General Hospital showed the effects that the disease has not only on those who are diagnosed, but the family and friends of those who are around them.
On his Instagram account, Benard posted a montage of the scenes and shared, “The Alzheimer’s storyline was definitely top three.” He then revealed that while Sonny was navigating this experience with his father, Benard was, too. “My father got Alzheimer’s at the same time Sonny’s father also got it.”
Benard also revealed that both stories ended at a similar time. “Sonny’s father eventually died at around the time that my father died.”
The actor went on to thank executive producer Frank Valentini, all the writers, directors, and crew, before also thanking his co-stars Laura Wright, Dominic Zamprogna, Matt Cohen, Vernee Watson, Rebeca Herbst, Steve Burton, “and the incomparable Max Gail.”
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In the comment section, fans shared their own stories with Benard. One user explained how she connected to Sonny and General Hospital, writing, “My mother had Alzheimer’s and didn’t know us for the last two years… she’d watch General Hospital for 50 years and the only character she remembered was Sonny.”
A second fan added how the storyline changed her life, “This storyline was exactly when my grandma died from Alzheimer’s and gave me the courage to speak about it in public for the first time months later at Laura’s event it changed my life in so many ways and I’ll never forget it”
A third user added, “I love you Mo, that was one of the best storyline ever. The way you handled both your character and personal issues was amazing. Thank you for sharing. God bless you and your family 🙏❤️💪.”
Select episodes from Max Gail’s time on General Hospital are available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video. Brand new episodes of General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and streams weeknights on Hulu.