# Sonny Corinthos
**Sonny Corinthos** (full name Michael "Sonny" Corinthos Jr.) is a fictional character on the American daytime soap opera *General Hospital*, played by [Maurice Benard](https://www.edgepedia.org/maurice-benard) since his debut on August 13, 1993. Introduced as a nightclub owner and racketeer in a six-month guest arc, he became the show's central figure, a mob boss operating behind the façade of Corinthos Coffee.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | August 13, 1993, as a nightclub owner and racketeer[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/general-hospital-maurice-benard-25-years-sonny-971975/) |
| Portrayer | Maurice Benard, continuously since 1993 apart from brief exits in 1997 and 1998[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr) |
| On-screen role | "Godfather of Port Charles," a "businessman" and owner of Corinthos Coffee[3](https://abc.com/cast/31f3be62-5afd-4a11-8792-7cd87b0bdf3f) |
| Defining storyline | Diagnosed with bipolar disorder on July 24, 2006, at Benard's urging[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr) • [4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/) |
| Children | Five living: Dante Falconeri, Michael Corinthos, Kristina Corinthos-Davis, Avery Corinthos, and Donna Corinthos; son Morgan died[3](https://abc.com/cast/31f3be62-5afd-4a11-8792-7cd87b0bdf3f) |
| Awards for portrayer | Three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series from nine nominations[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/) |
| Tenure | 30 years on the show as of August 2023; 32nd anniversary in 2025[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/) • [5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role) |
## Creation and casting
Sonny was introduced on August 13, 1993, as a nightclub owner and racketeer into whose orbit an impressionable young Karen Wexler stumbled[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/general-hospital-maurice-benard-25-years-sonny-971975/). The character was initially written as only a six-month guest arc, but Benard's portrayal became popular with fans and Sonny moved from a peripheral to a central role[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/). According to the show's casting director, Mark Teschner, Benard was one of only a few actors ever considered for the part[6](https://www.soapoperaspy.com/2021/how-old-is-sonny-corinthos-on-general-hospital/).
Benard was no stranger to daytime television, having played Nico Kelly on ABC's *All My Children* from 1987 to 1990[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos). He accepted the Sonny role expecting a six-month arc as a nightclub owner, choosing it over a two-year role as Damien Smith[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos). His start was rocky: his mental health reached a breaking point a few weeks into the run and he quit the show, and he credits producers Wendy Riche and Shelley Curtis with saving his position[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos).
His tenure has had two interruptions. Soap Central's character profile dates the stints as August 13, 1993 to September 24, 1997; May 15, 1998 to July 7, 1998; and December 18, 1998 to present[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr). The 1997 exit was brief, and Benard was back full-time by the end of 1998, beginning the era fans call "Carson," for Carly and Sonny[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos).
## Character biography
In canon, Sonny has been involved in mob activity since age sixteen. He is the son of Mike Corbin and the late Adela Corinthos, and half-brother to Richard Lansing[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr). Though originally scripted as Italian, he was later revealed to have been merely raised in the Italian neighborhood of [Bensonhurst, Brooklyn](https://www.edgepedia.org/bensonhurst-brooklyn), and to be of Greek, Irish, and Cuban descent[6](https://www.soapoperaspy.com/2021/how-old-is-sonny-corinthos-on-general-hospital/). His birth date has shifted within canon: originally April 21, 1965, the birth year was amended to 1969 in 2012, when his age was listed on arrest records as 42[6](https://www.soapoperaspy.com/2021/how-old-is-sonny-corinthos-on-general-hospital/).
**Rise to mob boss.** Sonny arrived in Port Charles in 1993 to run a strip club owned by [Frank Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-smith), and later concealed his mob business behind the façade of his coffee-import business[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role). His early storylines were villainous: he exploited Karen Wexler (Cari Shayne) by getting her addicted to drugs and then forcing her to strip in exchange for a steady supply, and fans initially despised the character[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos).
**Relationships and family.** Sonny's pairing with Brenda Barrett quickly reached supercouple status, and it turned Benard into a heartthrob and an icon in the genre[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos). He married Carly Jacks on October 14, 2015, after becoming engaged on July 15, 2015[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr). Per ABC's official cast page, he has five living children: Dante Falconeri, Michael Corinthos, Kristina Corinthos-Davis, Avery Corinthos, and Donna Corinthos; his son Morgan passed away[3](https://abc.com/cast/31f3be62-5afd-4a11-8792-7cd87b0bdf3f).
**Grief arcs.** Three deaths have shaped the character: Stone Cates, son Morgan Corinthos, and father Mike Corbin. After Mike's death, Sonny woke up as "Mike" in Nixon Falls, an amnesia arc in which he met Nina Reeves[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos).
## Bipolar disorder storyline and mental health advocacy
On July 24, 2006, Sonny went to therapy and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr). The diagnosis came at Benard's urging: he was himself diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 22 and pushed for his character to be diagnosed as bipolar so that mental health awareness would be front and center on a daily television platform[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/). Critics note that Benard's own experience with the condition makes the portrayal realistic[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role).
The storyline extended across generations: Sonny's son Morgan was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Sonny carried tremendous guilt that he had passed the disease down to his youngest son[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr). Sonny has also been featured in storylines addressing AIDS and Alzheimer's awareness[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/).
Benard's advocacy off screen has run in parallel. He has testified before Congress on mental health issues[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/) and worked with the National Mental Health Association on the "Bipolar Disorder: Do You Know It?" campaign[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001939/). He hosts the YouTube show *State of Mind with Maurice Benard*, about mental health[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/). In 2020, [HarperCollins](https://www.edgepedia.org/harpercollins) published his New York Times bestselling memoir about his mental health journey, *Nothing General About It: How Love and Lithium Saved Me On and Off General Hospital*[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/).
## Reception and awards
Benard's work as Sonny has earned him nine nominations and three [Daytime Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/daytime-emmy-awards) in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/) His first win came in 2003; IMDb lists nominations in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, and 2011[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001939/). He has also won three [Soap Opera Digest Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/soap-opera-digest-awards) and a Prism Award, and received four Latino Media Arts Award nominations[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/).
Fan reception has tracked the character's evolution from reviled exploiter to supercouple lead and genre icon[7](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos). Benard has reprised the role in three *General Hospital* spinoffs: *General Hospital: Twist of Fate*, *General Hospital: Night Shift*, and *Port Charles*[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role).
## By the numbers
Benard's tenure quantified: a debut on August 13, 1993[1](https://www.tvline.com/news/general-hospital-maurice-benard-25-years-sonny-971975/); three casting stints separated by two interruptions[2](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr); a 30-year milestone celebrated in August 2023[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/); a 32nd anniversary marked in 2025[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role); three Emmy wins from nine nominations[4](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/); and appearances in three spinoffs[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role).
## What has changed since 2023
Benard's portrayal has continued past the 30-year mark: a 2025 retrospective marking his 32nd anniversary in the role confirms he was still playing Sonny into 2025[5](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role).
## References
1. [General Hospital Celebrates 25 Years Of Maurice Benard As Sonny, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/general-hospital-maurice-benard-25-years-sonny-971975/)
2. [Michael 'Sonny' Corinthos, Jr. – Soap Central character profile](https://www.soapcentral.com/character/michael-sonny-corinthos-jr)
3. [Sonny Corinthos – ABC.com official cast page](https://abc.com/cast/31f3be62-5afd-4a11-8792-7cd87b0bdf3f)
4. [Maurice Benard – ABC/DGE Press Official Bio](https://www.dgepress.com/abc/bios/maurice-benard/)
5. [How Sonny Corinthos' mob life has unfolded over three decades on General Hospital, Primetimer](https://www.primetimer.com/features/how-sonny-corinthos-mob-life-has-unfolded-over-three-decades-on-general-hospital-a-look-back-to-celebrate-maurice-benard-s-32nd-anniversary-in-the-role)
6. [How Old Is Sonny Corinthos On General Hospital? Soap Opera Spy](https://www.soapoperaspy.com/2021/how-old-is-sonny-corinthos-on-general-hospital/)
7. [Maurice Benard reflects on 30 years as the infamous dimpled don Sonny Corinthos, Soap Opera Digest via Soap Central](https://www.soapcentral.com/general-hospital/0810-maurice-benard-reflects-on-30-years-as-the-infamous-dimpled-don-sonny-corinthos)
8. [Maurice Benard – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001939/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › US and Americas daytime serials and characters › Daytime serial characters and families*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license