General Hospital introduced strip club owner Sonny Corinthos to the Port Charles scene way back in 1993, and his dimpled smile has made us smile ever since. Through it all, Maurice Benard playing the role has been a constant as he’s infused a toughness and vulnerability that makes him and the character he portrays so beloved.

Maurice Benard’s Sonny Corinthos Always Brings Surprises

Thanks to the handsome actor and his intimate familiarity with the character he’s brought to life for nearly 30 years, Sonny has a personality for every occasion and plays any role he’s called to play as a family man, friend, lover, coffee entrepreneur, and mobster.

We even got to see a new side of him last year — bartender with a cowboy hat (occasionally) in a small fictional Pennsylvania town called Nixon Falls. Away from Port Charles and the pressures of his family and his criminal life, Sonny was able to become someone else, and perhaps part of that someone else is who he always wanted to be.

When Sonny returned to Port Charles with his memory intact, ready to resume his old life, a little bit of bartender Mike was still there, with Benard turning Sonny into a chameleon once again.

Sometimes Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) sees the bartender she fell in love with in Nixon Falls, and then she’ll see that confident, assured, and ruthless mobster he can be when he has to. And while we loved seeing Sonny away from his element, we also relished his return where we could get the best of both Sonnys.

A General Hospital Mainstay

It’s also hard to miss just how wonderful Benard is on-screen when Sonny encounters children, as he is a man who has had many. He has an instant rapport with these young actors, even as infants when Sonny’s children were babies.

His most recent scenes with Jophielle Love’s Violet were an absolute treat, especially after seeing her interact with Benard on his YouTube mental health program, Maurice Benard: State of Mind. No matter the task at hand always delivers with comfortable ease.