ABC NEWS: Actor Maurice Benard has heart disease and is at risk of having to leave his role as Sonny Corinthos in ‘General Hospital’
Sonny has been clutching his heart for weeks on General Hospital. Is this sending the wrong message to viewers?
Soapy Health
Many residents of Port Charles have suffered from health issues through the years. Some border on the ridiculous with mysterious illnesses or miraculous recoveries. Others have been handled realistically and make an impact on viewers. Monica’s (Leslie Charleson) battle with breast cancer in 1994 gave us the full story of the disease from mammogram through remission and it was some of Charleson’s best work.
GH also bravely showed us Stone’s (ex-Michael Sutton) diagnosis of AIDS and his ultimate death with realism and humanity. Sonny’s heart condition doesn’t seem to be in the same category.
Missed Opportunity
When Sonny first clutched his heart in December, it could have been a teachable moment for viewers. When that didn’t happen, he went on to lose consciousness twice. Both instances were opportunities for the mob boss to be admitted to GH and show viewers what may happen if you ignore the warning signs of a heart attack.
Now the storyline has gotten muddled. Sonny flew to LA to see a doctor. He needed a pacemaker but then didn’t need a pacemaker. He needs a procedure and the doctors don’t want him to wait but said three months is ok to wait. Sonny is too concerned about appearing sick and weak and not concerned enough about his health.
According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, claim more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths—the #2 and #3 causes of death—combined.
Sonny is treating this like a common cold. On the bright side, Carly (Laura Wright) may step in and, knowing Carly, will read him the riot act about what he is doing. Hopefully, this will get the storyline moving in the right direction. Do you think GH is missing a teachable moment? Let us know in the comments.
