General Hospital's Fan Favorite Hoped For a Short-Term Role, Stayed For 30 Years Instead
Fans could have had a very different show if everything had gone as planned.
If there is one thing you can count on when you work on a show as long as General Hospital, it is that there will always be great stories to tell.
Even though the show has faced some backlash recently, even from longtime fans, no one can deny the love the fanbase has for the cast.
Many feel a personal connection not only to the characters, but to the people who have portrayed them for so many years. But what if things turned out differently?
As of today, it is impossible to imagine General Hospital without Sonny Corinthos, portrayed by Maurice Benard since 1993.
The manic-depressive Port Charles mob boss quickly captured viewers' attention and became a fan favorite.
Of course, 30 years after his first appearance as part of the General Hospital cast, it's hard to believe that the role was supposed to be a short-term one.
That's right, after the success of Benard's previous project, All My Children, he was actually given two roles on General Hospital to choose from.
One would be Sonny, which he took and stuck with for the past couple of decades, and the other would be Damian Smith, who ironically was written out just a few years later.
"I actually didn't want to do another soap but I had run out of money! I didn't want to sign a long-term contract. There were two roles – Damian, a mob guy with a two year contract, and Sonny, the head of a night club which was a six month role. So I said I liked Sonny because I liked the name and it was a short-term part," the actor himself admitted in the interview with We Love Soaps TV.
Since joining the show, Sonny has become a central character with many storylines focusing on him, his love life, his children and his criminal activities.
To catch up with the show and see how Sonny's story unfolds, tune in on ABC or stream it on Hulu.