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| Sonny Corinthos | |||||||||||||||
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 Maurice Benard as Sonny Corinthos |
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| General Hospital | |||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Maurice Benard | ||||||||||||||
| First appearance | August 13, 1993 | ||||||||||||||
| Created by | Claire Labine | ||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||
| Gender | Male | ||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | April 20, 1969 | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Coffee Importer Mob Boss (1993 to May 2008; December 2008 to present) ELQ stockholder |
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| Residence | 120 Shoreline Road Port Charles, New York |
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Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993.[1] Benard left the show on September 24, 1997, and after a brief return in the spring of 1998, Benard has continued to portray Sonny since December 18, 1998. [1] In 2003, Benard won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role.[2] Sonny left the mob organization in May 2008 after his son was shot, and then returned after his ex-girlfriend was shot in December 2008. Benard has described Sonny as "unpredictable," and stated that: "You never know from one second to the next what he is thinking, feeling or planning. He's a man in personal conflict who maintains an outward appearance of calm at all times, at any cost." [2]
Contents |
Storylines
Childhood
Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. was born in the blue-collar Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. His biological father, Michael Corinthos, Sr., is of Greek descent, while his mother, Adela, is of Cuban extraction. Due to his gambling problems, Michael, Sr. feels that Sonny would be better off not knowing him. Hence, he divorces Adela and leaves the family, changing his name to Mike Corbin. Adela goes on to marry Deke Woods, a police officer who routinely abuses both her and Sonny. As a teen, Sonny enters into a chaste relationship with Connie Falconeri. He also has a brief sexual relationship with her cousin Olivia Falconeri, who hides the fact that she eventually gives birth to his son, Dante.
Adela eventually has an affair with her employer Trevor Lansing, that produces a son named Ric. When Trevor feels that Sonny is responsible for an accident that nearly causes Adela to lose Ric, he forces her to choose between her two sons. Adela refuses to abandon Sonny, and Trevor raises Ric on his own. Meanwhile, Mike enters into a relationship with Janine Matthews, that produces a daughter named Courtney. Mike's gambling also leads him to abandon this family.
Arrival in Port Charles
An adult Sonny arrives in Port Charles as a low-level mobster, who runs the Paradise Lounge for Frank Smith, a strip club where teenage Karen Wexler is dancing. He is able to keep Karen working as a stripper, by providing her with drugs, leading to conflicts with her boyfriend Jagger Cates. During this time, Sonny begins to date Brenda Barrett, and also befriends teenager Stone Cates, giving him a safe haven to continue a relationship with Robin Scorpio, whose family disapproves.
Sonny also forms a friendship with Luke Spencer, who enlists his help in getting mob boss Frank out of prison. When Sonny is shot during the escape attempt, Brenda takes him in and he reveals his ties to the mafia to her. Liking the danger, Brenda continues her relationship with him, and introduces him to her best friend Lois Cerullo, who actually grew up with Sonny in Bensonhurst. When Brenda and Lois decide to help Ned Ashton start a musical career, Sonny agrees to back them financially, though Lois forces him to promise to use legitimate funds rather than mafia money. The group form a record company named L&B records. When Ned learns the mobster will be attending his largest performance to date, he refuses to play, leading Brenda to sleep with Sonny for the first time in order to keep him from the show.
Lois meets singer Miguel Morez, and tries to sign him to her record label. Citing mafia involvement in the Puerto Rican music industry, Miguel refuses, but later agrees after Sonny travels to Puerto Rico and informs the locals that Miguel is under the protection of Frank Smith's organization. After Brenda signs a lucrative modeling contract with Deception Cosmetics, Sonny becomes increasingly jealous over her closeness with Miguel. Miguel is actually in love with Lily Rivera, the daughter of Sonny's Puerto Rican mafia nemesis. Sonny's jealousy leads to turmoil in his relationship with Brenda, though many of their problems are resolved when Sonny admits his emotional problems stem from his childhood abuse.
Lily and Miguel reunite, and Lily convinces Lois and Brenda to host a concert for Miguel in Puerto Rico to launch his career. Sonny also attends, but is distracted when an angry Frank decides to arrange a meeting in a cemetery to discuss why Sonny's business dealings have led to investigations into his illegal activities. Luke, believing that Sonny is going to be killed, arranges to attend the meeting in Sonny's place, and eventually kills Frank. When Sonny informs Hernando Rivera that he is taking over Frank's mafia organization, Rivera has Sonny, Brenda, Miguel, and Lily kidnapped. Rivera is unable to go through with his plans to kill the three Port Charles residents, when his daughter declares that he will have to kill her first. The friends return to Port Charles, where Sonny tells Brenda he is leaving the mafia, while he secretly plots his next move against Rivera.
Mafia Boss
Frank Smith's enforcer Cusack is also attempting to take over Frank's mafia business. Luke decides to open a blues club with Sonny, and hires drifter Mike Corbin to work for him. On opening night, Cusack bombs the club nearly costing Luke's family their lives. Cusack later disappears, and Luke, who is rebuilding his club, buys a pair of speakers from Mike who has stolen them from L&B Records. Sonny discovers this and when he confronts Mike he is stunned to discover that Mike is actually his father. While Sonny and Lily bond over having bad fathers, Brenda seeths with jealousy. An old friend of Sonny's, Joe Scully, reveals that he is responsible for Cusack's disappearance, and offers to help Sonny forge relationships with other mafia families. When Luke discovers that Scully is the head of Frank's main rival mafia organization, he severs business ties with Sonny who he fears is in too deep with the mafia. Stone, who has continued to live with Sonny, has started a sexual relationship with his girlfriend Robin. Stone discovers he has an advanced case of AIDS, choosing to run away in fear, rather than let anyone know the truth.
Frank's son, Damian Smith, is revealed to be Scully's silent partner, and the two begin to sabotage shipments belonging to Deception Cosmetics and pressure Luke for hush money. Sonny is reticent to take action against Scully, as he is the man responsible for saving Sonny from his abusive step father. During a confrontation at the docks, Mike is shot, and Sonny kills Scully, who was attempting to finish Mike off. Scully's men vow revenge, attacking Brenda, Luke's family, and Stone. When Robin attempts to tend to a wounded Stone, he again runs off, rather than let her have contact with his blood. Stone later confides to Sonny and Robin that he has AIDS, devastating them both.
Stone elicits a promise from Sonny not to tell anyone about his illness, causing tension between Sonny and Brenda. Meanwhile, Lily breaks her engagement with Miguel, and leans on Sonny for support. Sonny continues to evade questions about his mafia dealings, leading to more tension with Brenda, who is desperately trying to believe that Sonny's business dealings are legitimate. When Robin's aunt and uncle, Felicia and Mac Scorpio, illegally record Sonny discussing Mafia business, they play the tape for Brenda. Brenda attempts to get Sonny to confide in her, but when he won't she agrees to wear a wire in order to record Sonny admitting to his illegal activities, though she retains the right to choose whether or not to hand the tape over. Lily overhears Ned, Mac, and Lois discussing this, and tells Sonny the truth. Devastated, Sonny tells Brenda he loves and trusts her more than he thought possible, and that thought she had loved him too. Brenda tells him she does love him. They embrace, and Sonny pulls the recorder from under her jacket. Brenda tries to explain, but Sonny is furious, and orders her to leave.
Sonny and Lily
Lily comforts Sonny over the end of his relationship with Brenda, and he accompanies her to Puerto Rico to visit her father, who has been shot. Assuming they are in a relationship, Brenda seduces Miguel, and the two are seen by Lily and Sonny. Lily and Sonny grow even closer, as Stone begins to succumb to AIDS. As Stone has no insurance, Sonny pays for all of his medical bills with an illegal account that Mac and Katherine Bell are able to trace to Damian Smith, providing a definitive link between Sonny and organized crime. Brenda visits Stone in the hospital frequently, leading her dying friend to note the love that still exists between the two of them. Sonny and Lily begin a relationship, though they take things slowly. Sonny also learns that Robin is HIV positive, and Stone dies shortly after this.
After Stone's death, Sonny learns that he is being investigated for racketeering, and fearing he will be brought up on charges sells his stake in Luke's club to Lucy Coe and his shares in L&B Records to Brenda's family friend and Ned's grandfather, Edward Quartermaine. In addition to keeping the company from being affected by his legal problems, Sonny also know that Edward will cause problems for Ned professionally and will let Miguel sign with a rival company, resulting in Miguel leaving town and ending things with Brenda. When Brenda discovers this betrayal, she declares that she and Sonny are even, and the two admit their love for each other and come very close to reconciling. However, Sonny is arrested, and Lily agrees to reconcile with her father if he helps Sonny stay out of prison. Rivera agrees to help Sonny, but only if he marries Lily. Deciding he can live without love but not without trust, he agrees to marry Lily. When the charges against him are dropped, he tells a confused Brenda he cannot be with her, and a hurt and unseen Brenda watches Sonny and Lily marry from the back of the church.
Wealthy Jasper Jacks, better known as Jax, comes to Port Charles to seduce Lois, leading Ned to ask Brenda to run interference. Jax enjoys the diversion, leading Sonny to be jealous, which in turn angers Lily. Brenda and Jax agree to work together, with Jax making Sonny jealous while Brenda pretends to help Jax get close to Lois. Brenda and Sonny are continually drawn to each other, culminating in a night where Lily saves Brenda's life from an out of control car. Sonny learns that Lily's father is responsible; Rivera doesn't want Brenda interfering in his daughter's marriage. Realizing that Sonny still loves Brenda, Lily offers to divorce Sonny, but fearing reprisals, Sonny declines and offers to take her on a second honeymoon.
The couple decide to visit Canada for a ski vacation, though unbeknownst to either of them Brenda has arranged for Jax, who is falling in love with her, to take her to the same resort. In Canada, Jax, Sonny, and Lily are all furious when they discover that Brenda has arranged the uncomfortable situation and all decide to leave. In a desperate ploy, Brenda intentionally gets lost skiing, correctly believing Sonny would find her. He locates her at a remote cabin, where the two are trapped by an avalanche. Finally unable to deny their love, they kiss right before a helicopter piloted by Jax with Lily on board finds them. Back in Port Charles, Sonny realizes that he is only hurting everyone by denying his love for Brenda, and agrees to ask Lily for a divorce. When he attempts to tell Lily, she reveals that she is pregnant, and Sonny tells Brenda they cannot be together. Lily calls her father in Puerto Rico, planning to fly down to tell him the news, but forgets to cancel her plans with Rivera when Sonny tells her he is hosting a party to tell the town the news. Unbeknownst to Sonny, Rivera's spies don't know about the pregnancy and believe Sonny will be leaving her for Brenda.
Jax finds a distraught Brenda, and the two make love. The next morning Jax proposes, telling Brenda either they marry today or she will never see him again. Brenda agrees, and the two are married on his private yacht that night. Simultaneously, Sonny is drinking too much at Luke's club as he announces to his friends that Lily is expecting a child. Lily takes Sonny's car keys, and goes to the car to drive Sonny home. As she starts the car, a bomb planted by Rivera and intended for Sonny explodes killing Lily and her unborn baby. Rivera suffers a stroke, and Sonny gives him a gun after telling him that Lily was carrying his grandchild. Rivera kills himself, and Sonny flies to Puerto Rico to collect Lily and Miguel's secret love child, Juan.
Sonny, Brenda, and Jax
Brenda attempts to comfort Sonny, who pushes her away when he learns of her marriage. He learns that through Rivera's death, he has inherited $30 million from his marriage with Lily, and decides to use the money to create the Stone Cates Memorial AIDS wing. Brenda returns to modeling, and Jax discovers that she is still taking pain medication from her hit and run accident. Jason Quartermaine, who has suffered brain damage after his brother A.J. Quartermaine injured him while driving drunk, sells Sonny his stock in his family's company, ELQ. He also changes his last name to Morgan, and decides to join Sonny's organization. Sonny becomes involved the various intrigues at ELQ, as does Jax who is working with Ned's mother Tracy Quartermaine to take over the company.
Ned and Lois have married but, fearing stress over ELQ, a pregnant Lois leaves town, for which Ned and Sonny to blame Jax. When Sonny begins investigating Jax's background, Mac encourages Jax to admit his secret to Brenda. Jax's parents arrive and convince him otherwise, and send a thug to attack Sonny who is saved by Jason. Furious, Brenda agrees to renew her wedding vows with Jax, and Sonny and Ned's investigation leads them to a mysterious woman in the Philippines. As the wedding ceremony begins, Ned and Sonny interrupt it and reveal the woman to be Miranda Jacks, Jax's first wife who he thought was dead. Jax's father is revealed to be a part of the Australian mob, and Brenda lashes out at Sonny for ruining her second shot at happiness, vowing to never forgive him.
As Jax and Miranda explore their feelings for each other, Brenda and Sonny find themselves attracted to each other once more. When Sonny is informed that Brenda has been in an accident, he rushes to her hospital room where he is drugged and wheeled out of the hospital. He is taken back to his penthouse and injected with heroin and left for dead, though a perfectly fine Brenda senses his distress and rescues him. As he is taken into surgery, Sonny admits that he loves Brenda. Detective Marcus Taggert begins harassing Sonny, believing his heroin overdose is related to an influx of drugs to Port Charles. Brenda begins to investigate, and Sonny warns her off the case. Brenda and Jax decide that their marriage is worth fighting for, and Sonny decides he wants Brenda as well, after burying his wedding ring at Lily's grave. Brenda receives mysterious gifts she believes are from Sonny, but are actually from Harry Silver, a man who worked for Sonny and is now obsessed with her. Harry was in loved with Lily, and blaming Brenda for her death, leaves Brenda to die in the catacombs below Port Charles. Harry calls Sonny and it is revealed that he is responsible for the drugs and Port Charles, and that since her accident Brenda has continued to abuse pain killers. Sonny is able to kill Harry, and Jax and several of their friends rescue Brenda and Sonny.
Brenda moves out of her home with Jax so she can fight her addiction on her own. When Brenda is framed for the murder of Pierce Dorman, who was working with Harry to bring drugs into Port Charles, Sonny helps prove that it was an alive Hernando Rivera who was framing her. Sonny asks Brenda to marry him, and the two agree to leave town and the mob life behind them. Realizing Brenda would never be safe with him, Sonny sends Jason to the church to end things with Brenda, as Sonny leaves town on his own. Brenda has a mental break down, and Jax helps her back onto her feet. The two reunite and remarry, despite a visit from Sonny, who is happy to see she is stronger, though sad that she has moved on.
Return to Port Charles
Sonny returns to Port Charles, and learns that Brenda has died when her mother drove a car containing both of them off of a cliff. He takes the reins of his business back from Jason, who has become involved in an emotional and sexual relationship with schemer Carly Benson. Carly had seduced Dr. Tony Jones, the husband of her biological mother Bobbie Spencer. Carly also slept with Jason's brother A.J., after a drunken night of playing pool, though Jason is the brother she is in love with. Carly has a son, who at various times Tony, A.J., and Jason were all believed to have fathered. Eventually Robin reveals that A.J. is the biological father, and Carly enters into a loveless marriage with him in an attempt to drive him to drink so she will get sole custody. Sonny begins an affair with undercover FBI agent Hannah Scott, who bears a striking resemblance to Brenda. The two split when Sonny discovers the truth, though Hannah claims she really loves him. When Carly spies Jason slow dancing with Elizabeth Webber who was grieving for the death of her boyfriend Lucky Spencer, she confronts Sonny and asks for details of their relationship. The two argue, and Sonny and Carly end up having anger fueled sex, which Jason spies. Jason leaves town after this betrayal, and Carly discovers that she is pregnant again. Carly attempts to trick A.J. into believing the baby is his, but Sonny reveals that he is the likely father. Carly moves into Sonny's penthouse, and their anger slowly turns from mutual dislike into grudging respect. When Carly loses the baby after a tumble down the stairs while fighting with A.J., Sonny flies her to his private island and their dislike turns to love.
Mike continues to struggle with gambling addiction, and Carly attempts to save him from dangerous mob boss Joseph Sorel by having a conversation between the two taped for the FBI. Sonny discovers Mike's problems, and meets Sorel in his place. When the cops arrive, Sonny is arrested and his attorney, Alexis Davis, tells him that he should marry Carly to prevent her from having to testify against him. Furious at Carly's scheme, Sonny agreed and the two were married. After Sonny is shot, he tells Alexis to express his love for Carly, before he enters into a lengthy coma. When he awakens, Sonny decides that Carly will be safer without him, and pushes her away. Carly sees through this, and the two decide to renew their wedding vows in Martinique. Carly decides to force Sonny from a life in the mob and attempts to broker a deal with the FBI. Enraged, Sonny divorces her, and is nearly killed by Sorel shortly after. He is saved be Sorel's daughter, Angel Ellis. The two begin a relationship, which is cut short when Angel must flee the country after murdering her father.
Sonny continues to lean on Alexis for legal advice, and the two share an easy and flirtatious friendship. Alexis even attempts to facilitate a relationship between Sonny and a wary Courtney Matthews, the sister he had never met. Kristina Cassadine, Alexis' sister does not approve of Sonny, and accidentally lets Sonny know that Alexis is in love with him. Alexis and Sonny make love, and when Carly sees them, she recklessly drives her car over a cliff, and is presumed dead. When Carly is revealed to be alive, Alexis realizes that Sonny still loves her, and fearing the effect of his lifestyle, decides to lie and say that Ned is the father of the child she is carrying.
Brenda's return
Carly and Sonny reunite, and both are outraged when A.J. successfully convinces Courtney to marry him. Their lives are further complicated, when arms dealer Luis Alcazar comes to town with a very much alive Brenda Barrett. Convinced she is dying from a fatal disease, she decides to keep her return secret and stays on Luis' yacht rather than cause Sonny or Jax any pain. Though anguished that Jax is about to marry Skye Chandler Quartermaine and disgust that Sonny is with Carly, Brenda decides to escape the yacht when she learns that Luis is planning on killing Sonny and Jax so there will be no one else to compete for Brenda's love. Through an intermediary Brenda arranges a meeting with Sonny, who is shocked to discover that Brenda is alive. As Brenda steps towards him, Sonny is riddled with bullets. Jason sneaks the two of them away to a safe house, letting Brenda believe that Sonny is dead. Brenda eventually escapes to warn Jax, just in time to witness him marry Skye. When she is able to confront Jax alone, she tells him about her illness and tells him of Luis' plans. Luis shoots Jax, leaving him paralyzed, though Sonny is able to wound the arms dealer shortly after.
Jax pushes Skye away, though she allows the dying Brenda to spend time with her husband. When Skye learns Luis has been lying about Brenda's condition, she agrees to help Luis kidnap her rival. Brenda, also fearing reconnecting with Jax, convinces Jason to marry her, despite the fact that they loathe each other. When Sonny foils the kidnapping attempt, Sonny, Brenda, and Luis are stranded, and meet mysterious Ric Lansing, who follows them back to Port Charles. During this time, Luis also causes a warehouse explosion that causes the death of Kristina. Ric eventually takes a job with Faith Roscoe, a mobster rival of Sonny. Jax learns that Brenda isn't dying and leaves Skye over her deceit. A recovering alcoholic, Skye falls off the wagon and into Luis' bed. The same night, Brenda confronts Luis in order to protect Jax, and cuts him when he tries to rape her. The next morning Skye discovers Luis has been murdered, and Jason and Brenda are the prime suspects.
Alexis, who has given birth to a daughter she names Kristina after her late sister, starts out as Jason and Brenda's lawyer, but leaves town abruptly and Ric takes the case. Ric is able to free the two when the real killer exonerates them. Brenda and Jason eventually have their marriage annulled, and she decides to remarry Jax. She and Sonny say an emotional goodbye on the docks, and kiss one last time. A horrified Carly witnesses this and Jax stops their marriage at the altar when he learns of this as well. Brenda decides it best to leave Port Charles, and moves to Italy.
New threats
Alexis, is revealed to be Luis' murderer, though she is able to avoid jail time by faking dissociative identity disorder. Sonny and Carly reconnect and are delighted to have a baby. Despite a burgeoning relationship with Elizabeth Webber, Ric drugs Carly and tricks her into believing that the two slept together. Ric's scheme is exposed through Carly's amniocentesis, and Ric is revealed to be Sonny's long lost brother. Ric is overjoyed when Elizabeth becomes pregnant with their child, but is infuriated when Elizabeth falls down a flight of stairs after a fight with Sonny and loses the baby. Faith Roscoe, who is in love with Ric, pushed her in an attempt to eliminate the competition. Sent over the edge by the similarities between this and the accident Sonny caused with their mother that ultimately lead to her choosing Sonny over Ric, Ric kidnaps Carly and locks her in a panic room, planning to steal her baby and falsify an adoption after killing her.
Lorenzo Alcazar, the twin brother of Luis, comes to Port Charles and is able to rescue Carly from Ric. Rather than returning her, Lorenzo holds her hostage to help business negotiations with Sonny. Sonny nearly suffers a breakdown, while Lorenzo and Carly start to grow closer to each other. Sonny finds Carly as she goes into labor, but mistaking her labor screams for torture he shoots Lorenzo. The bullet goes through Lorenzo and into Carly's brain as she gives birth to Morgan Corinthos. Carly awoke from a coma disoriented, and thinking that Sonny was evil and that she loved Lorenzo. Sonny and Carly try to reconnect, but their relationship is pushed to the brink when Sonny shoots Lorenzo. Fleeing the scene, he kidnaps Sam McCall to be his getaway driver, but she convinces him not to give up on Carly. Sonny is eventually cleared of all charges.
Children woes
Sam and Sonny start a short lived relationship that gets more complicated when Sam discovers she is pregnant. Having reunited with Carly, Sam agrees to lie about the baby's paternity and tells everyone that Jason is the father. While trapped in a fire at the Port Charles Hotel, Alexis admits to Carly that Kristina is Sonny's daughter. After Sonny admits that Sam is carrying his child, Carly tells the truth about Kristina. Realizing the depth of both of their deception, the two decide to separate again. When Kristina falls ill, Alexis badgers Sam in an attempt to force the expecting mother to undergo a risky procedure to have her unborn daughter donate stem cells to Kristina. The conflict causes Sam to go into premature labor, and though she loses her baby, she agrees to donate the stem cells to Kristina.
A.J. Quartermaine, still desperate for a relationship with his son, kidnaps Michael and fakes both of their deaths. When Sonny discovers that Faith also played a part in his son's supposed death, the two have a confrontation that leaves her dead. Carly suffers a breakdown, and is committed to a psychiatric hospital. Michael is eventually returned, and A.J. is killed by a doctor who tries to frame young Michael for it. Sonny briefly enters into a relationship with Jason's sister Emily Quartermaine, who is upset that her husband Nikolas Cassadine has become involved with Sonny's sister Courtney. Courtney is married to Jax, but problems arise from their inability to conceive. Courtney leaves town when she finds she is pregnant and doesn't know if Jax or Nikolas is the father. During this time Emily forces Sonny to confront his bipolar disorder. Fearing for Emily's safety, Sonny stages a kiss with Carly, who has in turn asserted her independence and is starting a business relationship with Jax.
When a deadly outbreak of encephalitis hits Port Charles, several residents die. Among them is Courtney, who gives birth right before her death. Sonny and Emily attempt a relationship in secret, but when their relationship goes public, Sonny fearing changes from his bipolar medication and for her safety again ends things.
Kate Howard
Carly and Jax begin a relationship, as the two decide to raise Courtney's son John together. However, fearing the evil Cassadine influence on the child, Jax has opted not to reveal to Nikolas that he is the boy's true father. Though Robin eventually revealed the truth about the baby to Nikolas, Carly and Jax continue their relationship and get engaged. Sonny has mended his relationship with Alexis despite her marriage to Ric, and is supportive when she is revealed to be Sam's birth mother. Alexis, suffering from lung cancer, encourages Ric and Sam to become close so that her daughters could be raised by them away from the mob should she die. Sonny also acquires a feisty new attorney named Diane Miller to manage his legal affairs with Ric and Alexis unable or unwilling to take part.
Jax and Carly become engaged, though she is disappointed when he leaves town to help his wayward brother Jerry Jacks. While attending a party at the hotel she owns with Jax, Carly and several other Port Charles residences are taken hostage by the mysterious Mr. Craig, who is later revealed to be Jerry Jacks with plastic surgery. Sonny declares his love for Carly, and when the two survive the hostage crisis, they make love. Sonny is heart broken when Carly reveals that she is still in love with Jax and intends to marry him.
High profile magazine editor Kate Howard comes into Sonny's coffeehouse demanding to use his phone. Though they both play coy, each realize that they were teenage sweethearts, when Kate was known by her birth name of Connie Falconeri. Looking for a home outside of the city, Kate eventually settles on a house next door to Sonny's and the two admit their past together. Annoyed by the reminder of humble beginnings, Kate fights her attraction, but the two begin to fall in love once again. Now used to a life without many consequences, Kate is stunned when Ric decides to prosecute her for a fender bender hit-and-run, despite Diane's attempts to have the charges dropped. Realizing that this is a continuation of Ric's feud with Sonny, the two end their blossoming relationship, but decide to remain friends.
While they still dancing around the idea of a relationship, Ric's father Trevor Lansing comes to town, and reveals that he is the man responsible for turning Claudia into Kate. The former lovers are still close friends, and Trevor forces Kate to choose between him and Sonny. Kate chooses Sonny, adding more fuel to the rivalry between the Lansings and Sonny. Trevor is a lawyer who represents Anthony Zacchara, an insane mob boss looking to take over some of Sonny's territory. As Anthony becomes more unhinged, Kate and Sonny decide to attend a ball hosted by Nikolas to celebrate his second engagement to Emily. Anthony terrorizes many of the attendees, and Sonny is shot while protecting Kate from the mad man. Unfortunately, Diego Alcazar murders Emily in retaliation for the deaths of Luis and Lorenzo.
Zacchara mob war
As tensions mount between Sonny and the Zacchara family, his relationship with Kate blossoms into true love. Sonny takes her back for a romantic evening in Bensonhurst, and proposes to her. Confused about the direction of her life, Kate flees from Sonny, and a reeling Sonny finds solace by sleeping with an anonymous woman in a bar who is revealed to be Claudia Zacchara, Anthony's daughter. Young Michael, fearing all of the violence surrounding his family and taking cues from his father's violent lifestyle buys a gun for protection. When attempting to hide the gun, he accidentally shoots Kate, and rather than face the consequences, Michael runs away. He eventually returns and is caught in an explosion set by Diego at a warehouse where he meets Carly. Johnny Zacchara is able to save Michael, and Ric pulls Carly to safety.
In order to show Michael that his life isn't all violence, Sonny invites Michael and Kate to his coffee warehouse to see how the business is run. Claudia and Johnny, deciding to eliminate the competition, sends an assassin to shoot Sonny. When Sonny sees the shooter, he pushes Kate out of the way, but Michael is shot and is later revealed to be in a coma that he can never recover from. Carly blames Sonny, and tries to push him out of the lives of his other two sons, Morgan and Michael III. When it becomes apparent that Michael will not recover, Sonny and Carly send him to a special facility outside of town. Jason is able to convince Sonny to sign over all of his mafia related assets to Jason. On the way back from the facility, Carly and Sonny make love in the back of a limousine and Carly convinces him to give up his parental rights over her sons. Alexis is later infuriated when Sonny refuses to do the same for Kristina.
Sonny and Kate decide to marry, and start a new life together. Their relationship is tested when Kate learns of his tryst with Carly, and Jax also walks out on his wife. Both couples reconcile, and Kate is shocked when he brings her cousin Olivia Falconeri to town to be her maid of honor. Before the two can marry, Anthony Zacchara shoots Kate and frames Russian mobster Andrei Karpov for the deed. Sonny immediately wants revenge, and is furious that Jason won't act on his behalf. Sonny begins to feel the pressure of not having mafia backed power, and ends things with Kate who is still recovering from her wounds.
Marriage to Claudia
Anthony and Sonny meet to discuss Sonny's future plans, and Anthony offers Sonny control of his business if Sonny marries Claudia. Sonny agrees, much to Kate's disgust and dismay. Sonny is able to kill Karpov, and uses Carly as an alibi when questioned, causing Jax to leave her yet again. When Jerry Jacks, who knows of Claudia's culpability in Michael's shooting, begins sending her DVDs incriminating her, Kate inadvertently finds one. Before she can reveal the truth at a fundraising event at General Hospital, she is struck down by a bio-toxin that has been released in the hospital. Olivia finds the DVD, but destroys it in order to keep her cousin from a life with Sonny. Anthony goes to prison for his role in Kate's shooting, but chooses not to reveal Claudia's part in Michael's coma, as he fears Sonny could hurt Johnny. Claudia and Sonny find their marriage is actually working, and the two begin to make love. When Claudia realizes that Jason could learn the truth about her involvement in Michael's shooting, Claudia steps up her physical relationship with Sonny, hoping a child could save her life. Claudia succeeds at getting pregnant, and Sonny is dismayed to learn that Carly is also pregnant with Jax's child and could easily die due to health complications. When Michael wakes up from his coma, Claudia is worried that he might remember her confession to the shooting. Claudia and Michael are bonding now.
Bipolar disorder
Like the character of Sonny, Maurice Benard also suffers from bipolar disorder. [3] Benard stated, "When I let it be known I was bipolar, we wrote it into the character."[3] During 2006, Corinthos had an onscreen breakdown due to his bipolar disorder. The parallels between the story and Benard's real life expeirences had Benard believing he was having his own "fourth break down," though Benard credits staying on his medication as keeping him grounded.[3] His willingness to integrate his real life medical condition into Sonny's storylines have raised visibility of the disease, leading to Benard appearing on shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the disease as well as being the spokesman for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.[4]
Parallels in popular culture
The name of Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, as well as his occupation, is a reference to The Godfather's characters of Michael Corleone and Santino "Sonny" Corleone. These characters have a sister named Connie Corleone, which is alluded to in Kate Howard's real name, Connie Falconeri.[5] Similarities have also been noted between Sonny and Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and the characters that surround them both. [6] Vincent Pastore, who portrayed Big Pussy Bonpensiero on The Sopranos, came on the show to portray Maximus Giambetti, father of Sonny's bodyguards Milo and Max Giambetti. [7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "GENERAL HOSPITAL CAST - SONNY CORINTHOS". Soaps.com. SheKnows LLC. http://www.soaps.com/generalhospital/cast/280/Sonny_Corinthos. Retrieved on 2009-04-23.
- ^ a b "Maurice Benard". ABC.com. ABC, Inc.. http://abc.go.com/daytime/generalhospital/index?pn=bios#t=actor&d=165831. Retrieved on 2009-04-23.
- ^ a b c Anderson, John. "This rebel has a cause". BP Magazine (bpHope). http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/tows_past_20070924_c. Retrieved on 22 April 2009.
- ^ Castellanos, Melissa (3 June 2008). "Reality Is The Method For GH's Benard". CBS News (CBS Interactive). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/02/entertainment/main4145963.shtml. Retrieved on 23 April 2009.
- ^ Media Village: Savoring Soaps by Marlena De Lacroix, May 17, 2007.
- ^ West, Abby (4 April 2005). "Mobster Mimics". Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc.). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1043995,00.html. Retrieved on 22 April 2009.
- ^ West, Abby (28 July 2009). "Vincent Pastore Heads to Port Charles". Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly and Time, Inc.). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20215245,00.html. Retrieved on 23 April 2009.
External links
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Author: OLTLGHAMC2009
Keywords: OLTL GH AMC One Life to Live General Hospital All My Children Soap Opera Drama Soaps Soapies
Added: July 2, 2009