General Hospital star Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) got into a discussion about the difficulties of being an actor. It came during a recent episode on his State of Mindpodcast. At the time, he hosted Monica Keena. If you ever worked in a toxic environment, then you might be interested in what they had to say.
Acting Can Be Toxic
Many people would love to be a successful actor and reap the financial rewards and the fame. However, even seasoned actors can face difficulties in a toxic work environment. That resonates with many people. So, it was an interesting discussion Sunday, July 20.
Monica Keena has a big resume with TV series and movies stacked up behind her career. You might recall her from guest appearances on CSI and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She’s also known for roles in movies like Fifty Pills and Night of the Demons. When the subject turned to acting in a toxic environment, both of the famous faces had been through that.
Difficulties On Top Of Acting
Keena talked in the podcast about a difficult phase of her career, and then Maurice talked about how he once felt that he was “hated” by one of the showrunners. It came when he acted the role of “John Gotti.” He elaborated, saying, “it was the worst experience of my life.” He also said that it came about because “a producer hated me.”
It’s hard to imagine anyone hating Maurice Benard, but he reiterated the fact. He claimed, “I was on a soap opera…and she didn’t want somebody to get to play John Gotti being from a soap opera.” Interestingly, Monica Keena seemed familiar with that “whole ridiculous thing.”
Fortunately, Maurice became friendly with the director. Still, he found it “very difficult,” and that made it hard to play his role. The real-life Sonny Corinthos was probably talking about Lifetime’s Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter.
He said that one day, Victoria went to see him to find out what was wrong with him. If you don’t know, Victoria Gotti served as the narrator and executive producer of the film.
She told him that he would get into the role, adding he would “love it.” Plus, she gave him a tip about Gotti, saying, “My father did not like The Sopranos. Hated it, so play him like Michael Corleone in The Godfather.”
Maurice tried hard after finally finding a segment “on YouTube,” so he could get the attitude and the voice right. In the end, it all turned out well for the GH daytime drama star. He got into being Gotti all the time.
The two actors talked about how he ended up playing “a role within a role.” However, despite the success of the production, Maurice Benard felt that it was “very tough” for him.
Monica also related to that, explaining how hard it can be to act and then deal with other aspects of not being “welcome.”
Did you ever stop to think about how acting brings major pressure, and acting in a toxic environment might be the toughest thing ever? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.
