General Hospital's Maurice Benard Once Got A Huge Surprise On The Tamron Hall Show
Maurice Benard has played beloved gangster Sonny Corinthos on "General Hospital" since 1993. In 2023, he told Variety, "I came in playing a bipolar character. I thought it was great, being a Method actor coming in and playing this — and it's great for acting, but not great for my life. I've had to figure out how to maneuver that." Fans know Benard has often talked about his bipolar disorder, as well as many other aspects of his personal life, including his family.
On March 30, 2023, he appeared on an episode of the "Tamron Hall Show" to discuss his career and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the seminal soap. Hall noted that the day they were recording was National Bipolar Day and noted that bipolar disorder was also written into Sonny's backstory.
As the topic moved on to his family, the host put a photo of his adopted daughter, Heather Andresen, holding her baby, Eloise, up on a video screen. Benard fought hard to hold back his tears, muttering, "Oh, don't do that." Hall noted that Benard hadn't seen Andresen since October of 2022 because she was in the Air Force, and he had never seen her wearing her uniform in person — only in pictures. The soap legend was unaware of a special surprise in store for him when Andresen herself walked out onto the stage.
Benard was reunited with his daughter
"General Hospital" star Maurice Benard has also been publicly open about conquering his fears, including flying. As a guest on "The Tamron Hall Show," the eponymous host explained that she understood flying out to do her show was difficult for him. So she rewarded his courage by bringing out Heather Andresen, whom she explained was his wife Paula's sister, whom the couple had adopted when she was 15.
When Andresen entered the set to the rousing applause of the audience, she immediately walked over to Benard, and they embraced. Benard wiped tears from his eyes and quipped, "These surprises kill me," which had the audience laughing. He marveled at seeing his daughter in her uniform for the first time, clearly soaking it in, and for a brief moment, seemed at a loss for words.
"I am so proud of her, and I can't talk," he finally said, adding, "So, can I leave?" Hall explained that Andresen's adoption changed the course of her life for the better. Benard recalled the time when he and his wife had first adopted Andresen. She subsequently asked if she could refer to Paula as "Mom." Benard said, "I was gone. Worse than I am now," referencing his welling emotions. A swell of loving endearment could be heard from the audience as their hearts were warmed.
Andresen and Benard have a close bond
On March 8, 2021, the bond between "General Hospital's" Maurice Benard and daughter Heather Andresen was evident in a photo posted to Instagram of the two of them with baby Eloise. He lovingly captioned it, "MY LIFE IS JUST BEGINNING." Andresen is the fourth child of Benard and his wife Paula, also including Cailey, Cassidy, and Joshua.
On Benard's mental health awareness YouTube series "State of Mind," Andresen was the guest in January 2022, months prior to her leaving for the Air Force. The two bonded during the discussion because Benard brought up her childhood. They revealed that the household she had lived in was full of drugs, and she had even been born addicted. Growing up, she would often be left home alone by her mother and remarked, "For a lot of kids, that would be bad. But for me, I'm sensitive and was a sensitive kid, and the alone time helped." She felt that if other adults were around, they would chastise her for being so sensitive, but "Being alone kept me from that, and if I was around that, I would be a totally different person."
Benard recalled the moment he would later share on "Tamron Hall," in which Andresen first asked Paula about referring to her as "Mom." "You didn't see me," said Benard, who added, "I just turned my head, and I couldn't talk. You guys hugged. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen."