Maurice Benard's Financial Spotlight: Net Worth, Career, and Hollywood Legacy

Maurice Benard is an American actor renowned for his performances in daytime soap operas and his dedication to promoting mental health awareness. He hails from San Francisco, California, with roots tracing back to Nicaragua and San Salvador. 

Since entering the entertainment scene in 1987, Benard has earned acclaim, securing two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Maurice Benard’s Net Worth 

Maurice Benard, the American actor, boasts a net worth of $2 million. His acting career commenced in 1987 with a role in the soap opera "All My Children," where he remained a regular until 1990, making occasional guest appearances in the following years. After appearances on "DEA," "Stat," and "Dark Justice," Benard secured notable roles as Sonny Corinthos and Jerry Jacks on "General Hospital" in 1993, amassing over 1600 episodes on the show. 

His outstanding performances earned him a 2003 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, with additional nominations for Emmys and Soap Opera Digest Awards. Benard also portrayed Corinthos in two episodes of "Port Charles" and an episode of "General Hospital: Night Shift." Beyond television, he made his film debut in 1991's "Her Wicked Ways" as Steve and portrayed Desi Arnaz in the TV movie "Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter." 

His film credits include "Ruby," "Mi Vida Loca," "To Face Her Past," "Restraining Order," "Crystal Clear," "The Penny," and "The Ghost and the Whale." Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 22, Benard actively collaborates with Mental Health America to raise awareness. Married to his wife, Paula Smith, since 1990, they share four children.

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Maurice Benard’s Career Highlights 

In 1987, Maurice Benard made his television debut as Nico Kelly in the ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children," a role he maintained until 1990. His performance earned him a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Male Newcomer: Daytime in 1989. Following this, in 1990, he appeared in a single episode of "DEA" as Curro. 

The subsequent year, he took on roles in "Stat" as Jorge Rosario and featured in an episode of "Dark Justice" in 1992. In 1993, Benard secured his breakthrough television role as Sonny Corinthos in the ABC soap opera "General Hospital." Initially intended to last only six months, Benard, not initially keen on joining another soap opera after his time on "All My Children," found himself financially compelled to take the role. 

Shortly after starting on "General Hospital," he experienced a manic depressive breakdown but, with ABC and the show's writers' support, continued working on the show. Benard, surprisingly, grew to enjoy the role, especially as the writers incorporated mental health challenges into Corinthos's character, mirroring Benard's own experiences. Since 1993, he has remained a fixture on "General Hospital."

For his contributions to "General Hospital," Benard earned ten Daytime Emmy Award nominations and won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Award in 2003, 2019, and 2021. Additionally, he received three Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1996, 2003, and 2005. Benard reprised his role as Sonny Corinthos in the 1996 prime-time special "General Hospital: Twist of Fate," the spin-off show "Port Charles" in 2000, and "General Hospital: Night Shift" in 2007.

Beyond soap operas, Benard has starred in various feature and made-for-television movies, such as "Her Wicked Ways" and "Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter" in 1991. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in films like "Ruby," "Mi Vida Loca," "To Face Her Past," "Operation Splitsville," and "Restraining Order." He continued his film career with projects like "Crystal Clear" in 2000, "Confession" in 2009, "The Ghost and the Whale" and "Joy" in 2015, "A Lover Betrayed" in 2017, "Nightmare Cinema" in 2018, and portraying John Gotti in "Victoria Gotti: My Father's Daughter" in 2019. He also had roles in "Hold On" and "Duke" in 2019. In 2020, he appeared in "Equal Standard" and was cast in the short film "Passions" in 2022.

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Maurice Benard’s Wiki/Bio 

Maurice Benard, born on March 1, 1963, originally hails from Martinez, California, and was born to Martha and Humberto Morales. His cultural heritage is a mix of Nicaraguan and Salvadoran descent. Martha, his mother, worked in banking, while his father, Humberto, held the position of a bakery superintendent. 

Benard spent his formative years growing up in San Francisco, California. Upon completing high school, Benard discovered his interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. In the 1980s, he initiated his professional journey as a model before transitioning into the field of acting.

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