Soap Hub Performer Of The Week For General Hospital: Maurice Benard

 

For more than a year, it’s been rare to see Sonny Corinthos doing what Sonny does — being that take-no-prisoners mobster we’ve come to know so well over the decades. While we adore the new, tender side of Sonny that sometimes reminds us of an older side of Sonny from the 1990s, it’s also refreshingly familiar to see that tough guy side come out. For bringing Sonny back into his element with ease, Maurice Benard is this week’s General Hospital Soap Hub Performer of the Week.

Maurice Benard – Performer of the Week

Since returning to Port Charles after his time in the fictional Nixon Falls, PA with his memory back intact, Sonny has tried to pick up his life where he left off but has found it difficult, especially when wife, Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright), couldn’t accept a different side of him. Even his business suffered while he was gone, and then his right-hand man, Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), was killed.

Sonny also had to acknowledge a new side of him that grew in Nixon Falls while he was going by the name Mike, a more reflective side and a side that can’t stop feeling something for Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros). Benard has shown us the gamut of emotions as this hybrid version of Sonny, but he’s also shown us the ease with which Sonny can slip right back into the mobster role. And that’s because Benard knows his complicated character so well.

Just last week, Benard tugged at our heartstrings as he did his best to get Nina to stay in town after she lost her visitation battle for Wiley. This week, Benard reminded us that Sonny is hurting from the rift between him and Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) that his feelings for Nina have caused as he tried to brush it off with Brando Corbin (temporarily played by Brad Schmidt) but then gave a stern Sonny Corinthos warning to his new hire who he thought was going to hurt Michael.

While Sonny doesn’t yet know his new henchman, Dex (Evan Hofer), is really working for Michael to bring him down, Benard’s snap reaction as Sonny to anyone messing with his family was spot on and told us in no uncertain terms that this is a man who would still lay down his life for his kids.

We know that we’ll see Sonny’s more reflective side once more as soon as he crosses paths with Nina again, but it was nice to see Sonny in charge and we can’t wait for what Benard will bring us when Sonny learns he’s being played by a man he hired and a man he raised.