GH Spoilers: Maurice Benard Opens Up About His Difficult Bipolar Storyline

General Hospital (GH) spoilers and updates reveal Maurice Benard had a difficult time playing his recent bipolar storyline. “Mo” as his friends call him is bipolar in real life, and apparently some of it hit too close to home.

General Hospital Spoilers – It Was Difficult For Him To Play

Maurice Benard has navigated numerous dramatic arcs as the character Sonny Corinthos in General Hospital over the years, some more intense than others.

Recently, he opened up about the emotional toll Sonny’s mental health struggles have taken on him, describing the experience as ‘challenging; he found it particularly tough to portray such intense scenes.

The episode that aired on August 5th culminated in a gripping moment where Sonny, engulfed in despair, was poised to take his own life by leaping from the roof of the hospital.

This was a culmination of months spent exploring the depths of his character’s mental health decline, brought on by drug tampering with his bipolar medications.

It began with Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) having his dosage reduced under orders of  former Pikeman head Jack Brennan (Charles Mesure) and ended with total placebos by Ava Jerome (Maura West).

GH Spoilers – Maurice Benard Has Played Sonny Corinthos Since 1993

Since 1993, Maurice Benard has captivated audiences with his portrayal of the mobster, seamlessly embodying the character through the years.

In 2006, it came to light that Sonny was dealing with bipolar disorder, creating a personal connection between art and reality, as the actor has bravely shared his own battles.

Sonny’s character eventually took medication to manage his condition.

However, a recent plot twist involved a total of three individuals who  tampered with his medication, triggering a swift decline in Sonny’s mental well-being, culminating in an intense rooftop scene.

Maurice Benard took to social media to share that portraying this particular storyline has been quite “challenging” for him.

General Hospital Spoilers – Maurice Benard’s Fans Have Shown Support

His admission was in response to a fan who mentioned that a significant payoff was on the horizon in the plot. Many fans of General Hospital are aware of Maurice Benard’s personal battle with bipolar disorder.

He shared his journey in his 2020 memoir, Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital.

After this recent  episode where Sonny faced thoughts of suicide, viewers flooded social media with messages of support for the actor. Following  are some of the encouraging comments.

GH Spoilers – Fans Left Many Encouraging Comments

Today’s episode had me in tears, as it resonated deeply with my own experiences and those I’ve shared with my niece; bravo, @MauriceBenard, your recent performances are truly Emmy-worthy.

You are an incredible inspiration and a remarkable actor in the role of Sonny!-I  can’t wait for this storyline to reach its conclusion, as it’s been tough to watch.

The performances are outstanding, no doubt, but I just can’t bear to see Sonny in such pain any longer-after watching today’s episode, I worry Sonny really is on the brink.

Thank you for shining a light on mental health issues; I hope you won’t have to portray him in this way for much longer. I know the intention is to raise awareness, but I can only imagine how challenging it must be for you to navigate this in both your personal and professional life.

General Hospital Spoilers – Fans Wonder If He’s Leaving The Show

Maurice Benard has candidly considered stepping back from acting to focus on advocating for mental health awareness; was Sonny truly contemplating ending his life?

Reports indicate that a significant figure returned to help Sonny find his way back from the brink-Bryan Craig reprised his role as Sonny’s son, Morgan, for a special episode.

This encounter prompted Sonny to recognize his struggles and seek urgent assistance from Dr. Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom).

As for Maurice, he isn’t departing from General Hospital; however, he did mention needing a mental health break after filming those intense scenes! How his potential absence on screen plays out-we’ll have to wait and see.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with GH right now. Come back here often for General Hospital spoilers, news, and updates.