General Hospital star Maurice Benard has spent over 30 years playing Sonny on the ABC soap. In the past few years, his retirement has become a hot topic, and he’s got something to say about it.
Key Takeaways
- Maurice Benard has confirmed that he is not leaving the show at this time.
- The actor has one year left on his current GH contract.
- Benard hinted he won’t retire before age 65.
Is Maurice Leaving GH?
The good news for Sonny fans is that Benard has no plans to retire in the immediate future. On an episode of Richard Taite’s We’re Out Of Time podcast, which drops today, Benard shut down rumors he’s exiting the show.
“No, I’m not leaving,” he expressed, adding, “There have always been a lot of people [saying that]. I think they’re saying I’m dying, too, like I have cancer or something.”
Benard explained that he’s still got a year to go on GH before his contract is up, and even then, he plans to stick around. The 62-year-old actor did let fans know that, at some point, he will retire.
“Look, I’m going to retire, but I don’t think it’s going to be before I’m 65,” Benard stated.
It’s not that he doesn’t love what he does, either, but the show is “mentally taxing” for the actor who is bipolar. In fact, Bernard’s mental health is how he will know when it’s time to say goodbye to GH and Sonny.
When he does hang up his acting hat, Benard plans to keep busy because he needs structure in his life. One way he plans to do that is with his State of Mind podcast.
The good news for GH fans is that we don’t have to worry about Benard leaving anytime soon. The soap star has at least a couple more years in him.
For more from General Hospital star Maurice Benard, tune into Tuesday’s episode of We’re Out of Time with host Richard Taite, available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
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