Here is a comprehensive summary of the article about Maurice Benard:

Maurice Benard (born Mauricio José Morales in 1963) is a celebrated American actor best known for his iconic portrayal of the bipolar mobster Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. He began his career on All My Children in 1987 and played Desi Arnaz in the 1991 film Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter before joining General Hospital in 1993, where he was originally only expected to stay for six months. For his work as Sonny, he has won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor (in 2003, 2019, and 2021) and has also appeared in mainstream films like Joy (2015) and Victoria Gotti: My Father's Daughter (2019). Off-screen, Benard was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 22 and has become a prominent spokesperson for Mental Health America, advocating for mental health treatment. He has been married to his wife Paula since 1990, and they have four children together.