Exclusive Interview: Maurice Benard On Unique Bond Between GH’s Sonny And Ava

Even before Sonny Corinthos, played by Maurice Benard, brought Ava to live with him as his house guest and prior to booting Nina out of his life (for now), the coffee importer shared a certain rapport with the art gallery owner on General Hospital. The two haven’t always been friends but Sonny, arguably, can be more of his true self around Avery’s mama. Benard recently chatted with Soap Hub about the dynamic between Sonny and Ava.

Maurice Benard: All About Ava

Benard is the first to admit that Sonny’s treatment of Ava hasn’t always been very gentlemanly. In fact, he’s been downright abusive to the mother of his daughter, Avery. “Not so much now, but in the past, I have never seen on TV — or maybe in movies — a character treat a woman that badly [as Sonny has Ava] but it worked. She plays it perfectly,” Benard said of co-star Maura West. “Then, Sonny’s not nice to her. How long can we keep doing that?”

Benard recalls that it worked for quite a while and, in fact, it still does. “They understand each other and I enjoy playing that,” Benard says of the Sonny/Ava dynamic.” About a year ago, West spoke out about a potential future for Sonny and Ava.

Ava and Sonny’s dynamic has mellowed a bit due, we imagine, in no small part to their mutual love for their daughter, Avery. Sonny also knows that Ava will cross the line and be cutthroat with her enemies if she so desires. When Sonny had Dex (Evan Hofer) on ice for a bit last year while he was figuring out if the young man was truly loyal to him or not, the mobster shared with Ava what he’d done. He was not as open with Nina (Cynthia Watros), the woman he professed to love. Sonny also kept Nina in the dark about the nanny and Ava’s part in that.

There are sides to Sonny that he’d prefer to keep hidden. However, he knows that he can share all the dark sides of himself with Ava. How might that play out in light of Ava living at his home and Nina being estranged from him? Stay tuned! You can watch the interview below.