Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''.
Maurice Benard
Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. In 1993, he was cast as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Early life and career
Benard was born Mauricio José Morales in Martinez, California, the son of Martha ...
has played the role of the
manic depressive
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
mob kingpin, living in
Port Charles
''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...
, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993.
Sonny is also known for
supercouple
A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...
pairings with
Brenda Barrett and
Carly Benson
Carly Corinthos is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', a soap opera on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network, portrayed by Laura Wright from 2005. A collaborative effort between the writers, Carly – originally played by Sar ...
.
Since joining the show he has become a central character with many storylines focusing on his family, friends, and criminal enterprise.
Creation
Background
The character was originally scripted as being of Italian descent.
However, it later revealed that Sonny is raised in the predominantly Italian neighborhood of
Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bordered on the northwest by 14th Avenue, on the northeast by 60th Street, on the southeast by Avenue P and 22nd ...
,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. On his father's side, Sonny is of Greek and Irish descent. On his mother's side, Sonny is of
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
descent. Michael Corinthos Jr. is born on April 20, 1965, to
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
and
Adela Corinthos
This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
A Aaron
:( Chad Brannon, 2009)
Abigail
:(Ivy Bethune, 1987)
Sarah Abbott
:(Eileen Dietz, 1981–83)
::Roommate to Heather ...
.
In 2012, Sonny's birth year was revised to 1969 when his aged was listed as forty-two on his arrest records. After Mike abandons his family, Adela becomes involved with her boss,
Trevor Lansing
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
. Trevor is very understanding of the single mother, allowing Sonny to come to work with Adela, and even taking them on vacations to
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...
. However, Trevor despises the young Sonny and when Adela gets pregnant Trevor proposes; however, he forces Adela to choose between Sonny and their unborn child when Sonny accidentally causes a pregnant Adela to fall down a flight of stairs.
Adela gives up rights to her son shortly after birth and when Sonny is seven years old, she marries New York Police officer Deke Woods. However, Deke is extremely abusive to mother and son. Sonny is claustrophobic due to being locked in the closet as a child by Deke. To direct Deke's attention away from his mother, Sonny begins acting out.
Sonny uses his friends to escape his home life. He grows up with
Lois Cerullo
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the c ...
and is best friends with her brother, Louie. Raised by Adela, a devout Catholic, Sonny attends catholic school and is also very religious.
In his early teen years Sonny briefly dates
Olivia Falconeri. Following the end of their relationship, Sonny becomes involved with Olivia's cousin,
Connie Falconeri. Noticing Sonny and Deke's fights are getting more violent, and fearing one of them would end up dead, Adela asks Sonny to leave home when he is sixteen. For a while, Sonny is homeless and visits Adela when Deke is working.
After stealing his car, local mob boss,
Joe Scully
Joe Scully is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'', played by Shane Connor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 October 1999, along with his family.
Development
In October 1999, the five-strong Scully fam ...
takes Sonny under his wing giving him a place to live while Sonny works odd jobs for him. When Sonny goes to visit Adela on her birthday, he finds her severely beaten and unconscious. Sonny confides in Scully who has Deke killed the next day.
Adela passes away a few years later, when Sonny is nineteen.
Sonny and Connie make plans to run away together once she is eighteen. However, once Connie skips town without him, Sonny goes to work for Scully full-time.
Scully sends Sonny to
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
to run a strip club called ''The Sea Breeze'' when his son,
Joe Jr. proves to be incompetent. Sonny befriends one of the strippers, Theresa, whom Joe Jr. is infatuated with. In a jealous rage, Joe Jr. kills Theresa. Scully helps him disappear while Sonny lies to the cops about Theresa's murder, one of which is Theresa's brother, then FBI agent,
John McBain.
Casting
According to ''General Hospital'' casting director,
Mark Teschner
Mark Teschner is an American casting director.
Career
A native New Yorker, Mark Teschner has been the Casting Director of ABC Daytime's '' General Hospital'' since 1989. He has been described by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as "an actor's casting di ...
, Benard was one of the few actors being considered for the role. Benard came in for a meeting with Wendy Riche, and the two immediately clicked. It was only a matter of how long it would take to get Benard on screen.
Initially, the character was only supposed to last for six months as Benard was not interested in anything more than a year.
Benard revealed that after his stint on ''
All My Children
''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...
'', he was not interested in doing another soap. He joined the cast of ''General Hospital'' because he had gone broke and acting was all he knew at the time. The producers offered him two separate roles, that of mobster
Damian Smith, with a two-year contract, and that of Sonny. In addition the role being short term, Benard also chose the role because he liked the character's name.
Benard revealed that just two weeks after starting work, he suffered a manic depressive breakdown. At one point he had stopped coming in to work but expressed his gratitude to the network for keeping faith in him instead of firing him immediately.
The role of Sonny Corinthos originated in the final weeks of Bill Levinson's tenure as head writer, in August 1993, prior to Levinson's replacement by
Claire Labine
Claire Vaughn Labine (née Wood; June 28, 1934 – November 11, 2016) was an American soap opera writer and producer. .
The role was originally intended as a six-month stint.
After four years with the series, Benard vacated the role on September 24, 1997. After a brief return from May 15 to July 8, 1998, Benard returned to the role full-time on December 18, 1998.
In December 2014, Benard confirmed he had re-signed with the series, for an undisclosed amount of time.
Characterization
Like the character of Sonny, Maurice Benard also suffers from
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
.
Benard stated, "When I let it be known I was bipolar, we wrote it into the character."
During 2006, Corinthos had an onscreen breakdown due to his bipolar disorder. The parallels between the story and Benard's real life experiences had Benard believing he was having his own "fourth break down," though Benard credits staying on his medication as keeping him grounded.
His willingness to integrate his real life medical condition into Sonny's storylines have raised visibility of the disease, leading to Benard appearing on shows such as ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' to discuss the disease as well as being the spokesman for the
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), formerly the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association (NDMDA), is a nonprofit organization providing support groups for people who live with depression or bipolar disorder as well as t ...
.
The name of Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, as well as his occupation, is a reference to ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' characters
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather (novel), The Godfather''. In the The Godfather (film series), three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portr ...
and
Sonny Corleone
Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and its 1972 film adaptation.
He is the eldest son of the mafia don Vito Corleone and Carmela Corleone. He has two brothers, Fredo and Michael, and ...
. These characters have a sister named
Connie Corleone
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone is a fictional character in ''The Godfather'', a 1969 novel by Mario Puzo, and the 1972 film ''The Godfather''. In the film, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of the director Francis Ford Coppola. Shire ...
, which is alluded to in
Kate Howard
Kate Howard is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. The character was originated by actress Megan Ward, who portrayed the role from May 2007 to October 2010. In September 2011, the role was re-introduced ...
's real name, Connie Falconeri.
Similarities have also been noted between Sonny and
Tony Soprano
Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the American Mafia, Italian-American Mafia and, ...
from ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'' and the characters that surround them both.
Vincent Pastore
Vincent Pastore (; born July 14, 1946) is an American actor. Often cast as a mafioso, he is best known for his portrayal of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''.
Early life
Pastore was born to an Italian-Ameri ...
, who portrayed
Big Pussy Bonpensiero
This is a list of fictional characters from the HBO series ''The Sopranos'', its video game '' The Sopranos: Road to Respect'' and its prequel film '' The Many Saints of Newark.''
Main characters Cast table
Main character biographies Tony Sopra ...
on ''The Sopranos'', came on the show to portray Maximus Giambetti, father of Sonny's bodyguards Milo Giambetti and
Max Giambetti
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
.
Benard has described Sonny as "unpredictable," and stated that: "You never know from one second to the next what he is thinking, feeling or planning. He's a man in personal conflict who maintains an outward appearance of calm at all times, at any cost."
Storylines
1990s
Sonny came to Port Charles in 1993, running a strip club for
Frank Smith. He becomes involved with
Karen Wexler
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ...
, and gets her addicted to drugs to get her to work for him. Meanwhile, Sonny begins dating the young
Brenda Barrett, the beginning of a popular Supercouple for the soap. He also befriends
Stone Cates,
Robin Scorpio
Robin Scorpio is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its primetime SOAPnet spin-off '' General Hospital: Night Shift'', originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough on and off for over 30 years since ...
and Frank's longtime employee,
Luke Spencer
Luke Spencer is a fictional character in the American television soap opera ''General Hospital'', played by Anthony Geary from 1978 until his departure in July 2015. Geary holds the record for most Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in ...
. Brenda, who is more attracted to Sonny than to his mob ties, introduces him to an old Bensonhurst friend, Lois Cerullo, who needed Sonny's money to finance a record label. The romance of Sonny and Brenda takes off amidst their new business relationship as partners of the record label, L&B. Sonny travels to
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
to work security for L&B artist
Miguel Morez. He informs the locals that Miguel is under the protection of Frank Smith's organization. Miguel soon begins flirting with a now-model Brenda, which makes Sonny jealous. While Brenda and Miguel bond, Sonny opens up to her about his abusive childhood at the hands of his step-father, Deke. The two reconcile.
Luke kills Frank to protect Sonny, and Sonny informs Frank's partner, Hernando Rivera, that he is taking over Frank's organization. Rivera kidnaps his daughter, Lily, Miguel, Sonny and Brenda; they later escape and return to the U.S. After they are rushed to safety, Sonny plots his next move, pretending to leave the mafia. Due to mafia ties, Sonny and Luke's club is blown up; that same night, Sonny discovers that Luke's driver, Mike Corbin, is actually his father, Michael Corinthos, Sr. After Stone is diagnosed with
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
, Sonny takes him in. Sonny learned that Frank's son,
Damian Damian ( la, links=no, Damianus) may refer to:
*Damian (given name)
*Damian (surname)
*Damian Subdistrict, in Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
See also
*Damiani, an Italian surname
*Damiano (disambiguation)
*Damien (disambiguation)
*Dam ...
, is working with Joe Scully to sabotage shipments from Deception cosmetics. Sonny is reticent to take action against Scully, as he is the man responsible for saving Sonny from his abusive step father. During a confrontation at the docks, Mike is shot, and Sonny kills Scully, who was attempting to finish Mike off. Scully's henchmen go after Brenda, Stone and the
Spencers, looking for revenge. Lily learns that Brenda is planning to record Sonny discussing his mob business and hand it over to the police. Sonny furiously throws Brenda out and begins dating Lily, though they take their relationship slowly. Sonny wants to forgive Brenda because her intent was never to turn him in.
Stone dies from AIDS, and his girlfriend Robin learns she has contracted
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
. After Stone's death, Sonny illegally pays for Stone's hospital bills. Sonny is arrested and Lily turns to her father, reconciling with him in exchange for his help. Rivera makes a deal that he will keep Sonny out of prison if he marries Lily. Sonny marries Lily, though Lily realizes that Sonny still loves Brenda and offers a divorce. Sonny refuses to leave Lily because he fears reprisals from Rivera, though he finds it hard to deny his feelings for Brenda. Instead, he takes Lily on a second honeymoon. After being trapped in an avalanche at a ski resort on the honeymoon, Brenda and Sonny agree to reconcile. However, Lily reveals she's pregnant before Sonny can ask for a divorce. Brenda lets Sonny go, acknowledging his need to be an available father. Sonny and Brenda kiss passionately and declare their undying love for each other. Much to Sonny's dismay, Brenda moves on with
Jasper "Jax" Jacks. Sadly, Lily dies in a car bombing targeting Sonny, killing her and the baby. Sonny finds out Rivera was responsible, and helps him die, later taking over Rivera's organization. Upon Lily's death, Sonny inherited 30 million dollars, which he donated to General Hospital to create a hospital wing in Stone's name.
When
Jason Morgan suffers brain damage after a car accident, he confides in Sonny. Jason would later become Sonny's enforcer and closest friend. On Jax and Brenda's wedding day, Sonny shows up with Jax's wife, Miranda Jameson, who was believed to be dead. After Jax leaves Brenda to make sense of it all, Brenda and Sonny reconcile. When attempting to save Brenda, Sonny is drugged. When Sonny is brought to the hospital, Sonny tells Brenda he loves her. Believing her marriage with Jax can work, she rejects Sonny. Sonny's former henchman, Harry Silver, arrives in town causing problems for Brenda and Sonny, leading Sonny to kill him. Fearing the mob life is too dangerous for him and Brenda, he offers to marry her and leave town together. Sonny declares that he loves his life and has worked hard for it, but he loves Brenda more. After a nightmare where Brenda is blown up in a car bomb, Sonny decides he'd rather lose Brenda than see her die. Sonny sends Jason to the altar to end things for him. Sonny leaves town soon after his aborted wedding with Brenda.
Sonny returns to Port Charles, and is devastated to learn Brenda died months before. He is later approached by Robin, who wants his help getting
Carly Quartermaine, the wife of Jason's brother,
A.J., away from Jason. He soon begins dating waitress
Hannah Scott, who looks a lot like Brenda. Sonny is devastated to learn that his new love is actually an undercover FBI agent and he feeds her false information before breaking up with her. Sonny and Carly later have a one-night stand, and she becomes pregnant.
2000s
Sonny digs up dirt on A.J. and forced him into granting Carly a divorce and signing over his rights to their son,
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, whom A.J. had been threatening to take away. After Carly miscarries their child, she and Sonny bond and marry; they renew their vows after realizing how much they love one another. Sonny also adopts Michael. Sonny divorces Carly after she tries to force him out of the mob, and sleeps with his attorney,
Alexis Davis. Sonny and Carly later reconcile and remarry. Meanwhile, A.J. marries Sonny's long lost sister,
Courtney Matthews
Courtney Matthews is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. She is the daughter of Mike Corbin and Janine Matthews, and the half sister of mobster Sonny Corinthos. Courtney was portrayed by Ali ...
, hoping to use her to get Michael back.
Luis Alcazar
This is a list of characters that have appeared or been mentioned on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
A Aaron
:( Chad Brannon, 2009)
Abigail
:(Ivy Bethune, 1987)
Sarah Abbott
:(Eileen Dietz, 1981–83)
::Roommate to Heather ...
soon arrives in town and brings Brenda back to Port Charles. Luis, jealous of Brenda's past with Sonny, nearly kills Sonny outside the church where she and Sonny almost married. Attorney
Ric Lansing
Ric Lansing is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. The role has been portrayed by Rick Hearst, who joined the series on November 8, 2002 and exited the series on June 25, 2009. Following a five-year absence ...
comes to town, and reveals that he is Sonny's half-brother who was given up by their mother Adela. Ric blames Sonny for his wife
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
's miscarriage, though it was actually
Faith Rosco
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
who was responsible. Ric kidnaps a pregnant Carly, planning to give the child to Elizabeth. Carly is taken from Ric by
Lorenzo Alcazar
Lorenzo Alcazar is a fictional character on the American ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', originated by actor Ted King, who previously played Lorenzo's deceased brother Luis Alcazar. He was temporarily portrayed by Jay Pickett in 2006.
Casti ...
, Luis's brother who tries to use Carly as leverage against Sonny. When Sonny comes to rescue Carly, he accidentally shoots her and she falls into a coma shortly after giving birth to
Morgan Corinthos
Morgan Corinthos is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime soap opera, ''General Hospital'', last portrayed by Bryan Craig. Morgan is the first biological child of Sonny and Carly Corinthos.
The character was created under head writ ...
. When she wakes up, she is distant from Sonny and drawn towards Lorenzo. Believing his marriage is over, Sonny begins an affair with
Sam McCall
Sam McCall is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Created by Charles Pratt, Jr. and Robert Guza, Jr., the character made her debut on the episode airing on October 1, 2003, portrayed by Ke ...
, who finds out she's pregnant just as Carly and Sonny reconcile.
To keep them from splitting up, Sam, Sonny, and Jason all claimed that Jason is the father. Not happy about the lie, Sonny confessed the truth to Carly. Though the two became distant, they eventually stayed together. However, Carly later revealed that Sonny was the father of Alexis' daughter,
Kristina. Sonny and Sam's
daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...
was tragically stillborn, and her stem-cells are used to save a sick Kristina. Meanwhile, Carly and Sonny filed for divorce. This was stalled after Michael, Morgan, and Kristina were all kidnapped. The culprit was revealed to be A.J., with assistance from Faith, who wanted Michael back. Michael is rescued, and A.J. is killed while awaiting trial. When Michael is believed to be responsible for A.J.'s death, Sonny confesses to protect his son. He is acquitted when A.J.'s killer is revealed to be Dr.
Asher Thomas
'' General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ci ...
. Sonny begins a relationship with Jason's sister,
Emily Quartermaine
Emily Quartermaine is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. The role was originated on January 20, 1995 by Amber Tamblyn, who portrayed the role until July 11, 2001. Natalia Livingston subsequently played Emily from ...
, who helps Sonny face his diagnosis of bipolar disorder. They start seeing each other secretly until Jason finds out. Jason takes matters into his own hands, and forces Sonny to choose between his organization or Emily. Sonny chooses Emily, and Jason reluctantly takes over Sonny's business, forcing Sonny into retirement. Fearing for Emily's safety, Sonny stages a kiss with Carly, convincing Emily to leave him.
Sonny is jealous when he learns Carly and Jax have become engaged. When Carly witnesses Sonny shooting Lorenzo, he convinces her to marry him so she can't testify against him. After being taken hostage at the Metro Court Hotel by
Jerry Jacks
Jerard "Jerry" Aloysius JacksStated on-air on April 30, 2007 is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, ''General Hospital''. He was portrayed by Julian Stone from April 10, 1998 to December 14, 1999. In January 2007, the role was recast wit ...
where his children Michael, Morgan, and Kristina were scared, Sonny tells Carly he still loves her and they make love after the hostage crisis left his children traumatized after being debriefed. Carly still divorces him to marry Jax. Sonny soon reconnects with his first love, Connie Falconeri, now known as
Kate Howard
Kate Howard is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. The character was originated by actress Megan Ward, who portrayed the role from May 2007 to October 2010. In September 2011, the role was re-introduced ...
. Soon, Ric's father,
Trevor
Trevor (Trefor (disambiguation), Trefor in the Welsh language) is a common given name or surname of Welsh language, Welsh origin. It is an habitational name, deriving from the Welsh ''tre(f)'', meaning "homestead", or "settlement" and ''fawr'', ...
comes to town with mobster
Anthony Zacchara
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
and his son,
Johnny
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Varian ...
.
Diego Alcazar
Diego Alcazar is a fictional character from '' General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Diego is the son of Lorenzo Alcazar and Maria Sanchez. Ignacio Serricchio originated the role of Diego in October 2004 and portrayed him ...
targeted the women in Sonny and Jason's life, wanting revenge for the death of his father, Lorenzo. Kate rejects Sonny's marriage proposal, fearing for her safety; in turn, Sonny sleeps with Anthony's daughter,
Claudia. A botched hit on Sonny puts Michael in a coma, devastating him and Carly. Sonny decides he wants Jason to take over the organization, and Carly forces Sonny to sign over his parental rights to Michael and Morgan in order to keep them safe. Sonny and Kate get engaged, and plan to get married. Sonny brings Kate's cousin, Olivia, to town for the ceremony. Anthony shoots Kate at the altar and frames Andrei Karpov for the shooting; Sonny kills Karpov, as a result. Sonny marries Claudia to get back into the mob.
Though it's a marriage of convenience, Sonny and Claudia actually bond and eventually make love. Michael wakes up after surgery, and moves in with Sonny and Claudia temporarily, to keep Carly from stressing out during her high risk pregnancy. Claudia discovers she is pregnant, but is run off the road by a teenage Kristina and miscarries. Sonny later hires
Dominic Pirelli as the new bodyguard for his kids. Sonny begins to trust Dominic after he saves him from a bullet and Morgan from being hit by a speeding car. Just before Claudia's birthday party, Jason informs Sonny that Claudia was behind Michael's shooting and Sonny calls her out at the party. Claudia escapes from the party by taking a pregnant Carly hostage. She is later killed by Michael, who was trying to protect Carly and her newborn daughter,
Josslyn Jacks
''General Hospital'' is an American television serial drama, airing on ABC. The show was created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital in an unnamed fictional city. The series premiered on April 1, 1963. In the ...
. Sonny let everyone believe he was guilty of murder to protect Michael.
2010s
Sonny learns that Dominic is actually an undercover cop and when he comes arrests him, Sonny shoots him. Sonny is shocked to learn that "Dominic" is actually Olivia's son, Dante, and also his son. Dante survives, and shows his hatred for Sonny. When Sonny is put on trial for Claudia's murder, Michael attempts to confess. Jason, Carly and Sonny send him to Sonny's island to keep him from confessing. Meanwhile, Jax, determined to put Sonny away for good, brings in
Claire Walsh to prosecute Sonny. Just as the verdict for Sonny's murder trial is about to be announced, Dante puts Michael on the stand. Sonny, Carly and Jason are devastated when Michael admits to Claudia's murder, and he is sentenced to five years in prison.
Kristina begins acting out and pretends to date Johnny Zacchara; Sonny retaliates by planting a bomb in Johnny's car, but nearly kills Kristina. Sonny and Alexis team up to co-parent Kristina so she can get to know Sonny better. Claire teams up with Johnny to put Sonny in prison, but the plan falls apart. Sonny has a brief romance with Claire before Brenda returns and they reunite. Sonny and Brenda soon get engaged and marry. Right after the wedding, Brenda is kidnapped by crime figure
The Balkan, who wants revenge for Brenda killing his son, Aleksander Janáček. Sonny, Jason and Dante rescue her from Hoffman. Brenda finds out she has a son with Aleksander, named Lucian, who she thought had died in a miscarriage. Sonny is suspicious, though, and convinces Brenda to get a DNA test. Lucian goes missing, though, and Sonny, Dante, and Carly try to find him. Sonny finds out Theo's wife,
Suzanne Stanwyck, is hiding Brenda's real son,
Alec
Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat
*Alec Acton (1938 ...
; he rescues Alec and reunites him with Brenda. During Carly and Jax's custody battle for Josslyn, Sonny has Jax drugged, and plants drugs in his room so that Carly would get full custody of Josslyn. When Brenda learns of Sonny's betrayal, she leaves town with Alec. Sonny is furious when he learns that Brenda left with Jax and sabotages Jax's plane, leading everyone to think he's dead. Carly sends Morgan away to military school to keep him away from Sonny.
When Sonny saves Dante from getting shot, he goes after Anthony, believing he is responsible. Anthony escapes, but his tires are shot out, and he causes an accident that kills
Cole Thornhart
Cole Thornhart is a fictional character from the American daytime dramas ''One Life to Live'' and ''General Hospital''.
Casting
Cole was portrayed by Brandon Buddy from October 10, 2006, to November 10, 2010. In October 2011, it was announced t ...
and
Hope Manning-Thornhart
A list of notable characters from the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'' that made their first appearance between the beginning of 2000 and the end of 2009.
Kimberly Andrews
Kimberly Andrews (born Aubrey Wentworth) is a fictional characte ...
. Sonny is accused of the murders, and put on trial. During the trial, Sonny meets his former nemesis, Detective
John McBain, who believes Sonny is responsible for killing his sister, Theresa. Sonny is found innocent of Cole and Hope's murders, but McBain is intent on making Sonny pay for Theresa's death.
Starr Manning
Starr Manning is a fictional character from the daytime drama '' One Life to Live''. Born onscreen on January 8, 1996, the role was initially portrayed by infant children. In 1998, Starr was rapidly aged when young actress Kristen Alderson debuted ...
, Cole's girlfriend and Hope's mother, is furious over Sonny's acquittal, and tries to kill him. Michael talks her down, though, and she's arrested. Sonny starts to reconnect with Kate, and they resume a relationship until Sonny catches her in bed with Johnny.
Todd Manning
Thomas Todd Manning is a fictional character from the American daytime drama ''One Life to Live'' (''OLTL''). Created by writers Michael Malone (author), Michael Malone and Josh Griffith, the role was originated in 1992 by actor Roger Howarth. T ...
, Starr's father, tells Sonny that Kate is responsible for killing Cole and Hope because she's suffering from split personality. Kate tells Sonny her alternate personality, Connie, is the one who slept with Johnny, and she loves him. Sonny agrees to drop the charges against Starr so Kate can get help. Sonny tells McBain that
Joe Scully Jr. was responsible for killing Theresa, and later finds out Joe raped Kate, which led to her mental illness. Furious, Sonny kidnaps Joe to kill him, until McBain talks him out of it. Kate and Sonny resume their relationship, and get engaged. On their wedding day, though, it's revealed Connie is in control, and is already married to Johnny. Despite losing Kate, Sonny tries to get through to Connie. He and Connie eventually become close, which leads to Kate coming back. Upset at Sonny sleeping with Connie, Kate pushes him away, but she agrees to go to a mental facility for treatment.
Kate returns, going by Connie again, and tells Sonny she has been treated, but she breaks up with Sonny to preserve her fragile mental state. Sonny lets her go, and starts growing close to Olivia. Meanwhile, A.J. is revealed to be alive after faking his death. He starts building a relationship with Michael, upsetting Sonny. Sonny finds out Morgan is in debt to bookies because of excessive gambling, and tracks him down. Morgan rebels coming home, bringing his girlfriend,
Kiki Jerome
Kiki Jerome is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The role was originated by Kristen Alderson in 2013 when Kiki was introduced as the troublesome girlfriend of Morgan Corinthos (Bryan Crai ...
, with him. Kiki's mother,
Ava Jerome
Ava Jerome is a fictional character from '' General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The role is portrayed by three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Maura West, who made her first appearance on May 8, 2013.
Ava is part of th ...
, follows her, and Sonny is suspicious that Ava is connect to the
Jerome mob family. Jealous of Olivia, Connie decides she wants Sonny back, and the two resume their relationship after Olivia steps aside. Sadly, Connie is murdered soon after, and A.J. is the prime suspect. Sonny tries to kill A.J., but agrees to leave him alone for Michael's sake.
Sonny finds out
Julian Jerome
Julian Jerome is a fictional character from the original ABC Daytime drama ''General Hospital''. Created by Ann Marcus and Norma Monty, the role was originally portrayed by Jason Culp from 1988 to 1990. William deVry took over the role upon the cha ...
, former head of the Jerome mob, is alive, and he and his sister, Ava, are looking to gain control of Port Charles again. When Kiki breaks up with Morgan, he blames Sonny, and starts sleeping with Ava and working for Julian. Morgan eventually realizes how dangerous the mob is, and Sonny helps him leave the mob. A.J. is acquitted of Connie's murder and, in a moment of rage, Sonny shoots and kills him. Carly finds out, and decides to keep the secret so Michael won't find out. Sonny, meanwhile, finds out that Ava was responsible for killing Connie. He tries to kill her, but she reveals that she's pregnant with either his child or Morgan's. Sonny decides to keep her prisoner until the baby is born before killing her. Ava escapes, though, and hides out. Sonny starts growing close to Carly again, in the meantime. When Carly's boyfriend,
Franco
Franco may refer to:
Name
* Franco (name)
* Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975
* Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître"
Prefix
* Franco, a prefix used when ref ...
, finds out about their affair, he spitefully reveals Sonny's crime to Michael. Furious, Michael tries to kill Sonny, and Sonny agrees to let him until Morgan and Dante talk him down. Sonny is arrested for A.J.'s murder, and is sentenced to life in prison. He hands his organization over to
Duke Lavery
Duke Lavery is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, primarily portrayed by Ian Buchanan. The role was created by executive producer Gloria Monty and co-head writer Norma Monty. Duke is introdu ...
, Julian's enemy, and asks him to keep the Jeromes from taking over.
While in prison, Sonny is threatened by Luke, who threatens his sons now that Sonny is in prison making
Helena Cassadine
Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981. After a brief stint by Dimitra Arliss in 1996, Constance Towers took over the role i ...
elated. Sonny teams up with Julian, who is also being threatened by Luke, and the two break out of prison to stop him. Sonny finds a bomb on the Haunted Star ship, where Michael is throwing a party, and jumps overboard with the bomb to save Michael. Sonny survives, and is granted a pardon by the governor, since his daughter was on the ship. Sonny is released, and reconnects with Carly. He also gets custody of
Avery, his daughter with Ava. However, Michael sues and wins custody of Avery, to get revenge on Sonny. Michael eventually decides to let go of his anger, and gives Avery back to Sonny. Sonny and Carly get engaged, and plan to get married. On their wedding day, Sonny is shot while trying to rescue
T.J. Ashford under Jerry Jacks' orders while his longtime best friend Robin was being held captive against her will. At the hospital, it's determined he is paralyzed and needs a wheelchair. Carly stands by him, and Sonny realizes how much he loves her. The two marry in the hospital chapel. Sonny has to go to court for custody of Avery after Ava is released from prison. Ava ends up getting sole custody, infuriating Sonny.
Sonny starts to regain feeling in his legs, though he hides his progress from his family so his enemies do not find out. When Julian marries Alexis, Sonny reveals his condition when he stands up to defend Kristina from a gunman that took her hostage. Carly almost leaves him for his deception, but they stay together and unite when Morgan is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and has to be committed to a mental facility. Duke is killed, and Sonny aims to prove Julian was responsible. He tracks down Julian's hit man,
Carlos Rivera
Carlos Rivera Guerra, better known as Carlos Rivera (born March 15, 1986), is a Mexican singer. He rose to fame by winning the third generation of '' La Academia''. Rivera has released four studio albums and participated in six theatre product ...
, and brings him back to Port Charles to face charges. Carlos is killed, though, before he can implicate Julian. Sonny later agrees to joint custody with Ava of Avery. Julian is arrested for killing Duke and Carlos, and is put on trial. He goes free, though, when the case falls apart. Sonny intends to retaliate, despite Carly's protests. Duke's son,
Griffin Munro, manages to convince Sonny to not kill Julian after he gained Helena's stepson and Spencer's great uncle
Valentin Cassadine
Valentin Cassadine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The character was initially conceived in 2009 by head writer Robert Guza Jr., as a previously unknown member of the wealthy Cassa ...
as his new enemy. The night Sonny calls off the hit, Morgan is killed after stealing Julian's car, which exploded. Guilt-ridden, Sonny turns himself in, planning to confess to his son's murder. However, Jason tells Sonny that he is not responsible for Morgan's murder because his hit man got Sonny's message. Sonny is put on house arrest, while Jason tries to prove his innocence. After Jordan found out that Sonny was innocent that Julian's sister
Olivia Jerome did it confirming Jason and Curtis' story, Sonny was free to go anywhere he likes to find Olivia Jerome who abducted Robin after his wife Carly found her first.
Sonny and Jason began their search for
Cesar Faison
''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ...
together. While looking for him, he and Jason eventually found Valentin's cousin-in-law and Faison's daughter
Britt Westbourne.
2020s
Sonny and Jason gain Cyrus Renault from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
as their new enemy who was later released from prison while Britt's best friend Brad Cooper is in prison.
Reception
Benard has been nominated for several
Daytime Emmy Awards
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
, including the
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor (1996, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2021) winning in 2003, 2019, and 2021.
Benard was also nominated in the
Supporting Actor
A supporting actor is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give separate awards to the ...
category in 1997.
Benard also won two
Soap Opera Digest Awards
''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine ''Soap Opera Digest''.
History
1977 until 1983
The Soapy Awards were an award presen ...
for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1996 and 2003.
See also
*
Sonny Corinthos and Carly Benson
Notes
References
External links
ABC.COM Character Biosoapcentral.com profile Soaps.com Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corinthos, Sonny
General Hospital characters
Fictional characters with bipolar disorder
Fictional businesspeople
Fictional characters from New York City
Fictional crime bosses
Fictional European-American people
Fictional Cuban-American people
Television characters introduced in 1993
Fictional lords and ladies
Fictional Greek people in television
Fictional murderers
Fictional gangsters
Male characters in television
Fictional criminals in soap operas