General Hospital: Maurice Benard Remembers Anthony Geary, Sonny & Luke; Previews Luke Tribute Show (Excl)
On Friday, February 20, General Hospital will air a special episode paying tribute to Anthony Geary, the Port Charles superstar who passed away on December 14, 2025, at the age of 78. The Daytime Emmy-winner’s iconic character, Luke Spencer, died off-camera in 2022, but in the wake of Geary’s death, many characters whose lives were touched by Luke will pause to remember him. Among those featured will be Sonny Corinthos, played by Maurice Benard. Soap Opera Digest checked in with Benard, whose experience on and off camera at GH was greatly impacted by his long working relationship with Geary.
Legends Only
Benard joined GH back in August 1993, just a few months before Geary reprised the role of Luk alongside Genie Francis (Laura) and accompanied by a then-11-year-old Jonathan Jackson as Luke and Laura’s son, Lucky. The Spencer family had been in hiding from mobster Frank Smith, and when they settled back into Port Charles, Damian Smith (Frank’s son) relayed a message from his father: He would keep the Spencers safe in exchange for Luke doing certain unsavory jobs for him. Damian appointed Sonny to be the liaison between Luke and Frank. A friendship soon developed between the men, and they teamed up to take down Frank.
Behind the scenes, the two actors clicked right away. “From day one until the day he left, Tony and I just always had this kind of mutual respect,” says Benard. And, infamously, it was Geary who helped solidify Benard’s long-term future in Port Charles by encouraging him to seek a storyline life outside of being Luke’s sidekick. “When I first started working with him — it was maybe about 8 or 9 months in — he called me into his room,” recalls the Daytime Emmy winner. “He said, ‘Listen, do you want to be the Tonto to my Lone Ranger?’ And I said, ‘Well, I mean, my contract’s coming up anyway. I may just leave.’ He goes, ‘Go upstairs [to then-Executive Producer Wendy Riche’s office] and ask them to you give you a family.’ I did that, and that’s when they gave Sonny a father” — Mike Corbin, played at the time by Ron Hale — “and that’s when Brenda [Vanessa Marcil] and Sonny started.”
Sonny and Brenda, of course, became one of the show’s signature love stories, and the introduction of Sonny’s estranged dad further helped to humanize him. Without that push from Geary, Benard says, “I don’t know what would have happened. I mean, I may have left.” What Geary did for him, the actor adds, “was incredibly generous. But that’s just who Tony was. We always had a good time working together. We had fun and he made me laugh. I always say Tony, Steve Burton [Jason] and Michael Knight [Martin] make me laugh like no other.”
Luke and Sonny had their ups and downs over the years, but the strong bond they forged led to Benard having the honor of sharing poignant final scenes with Geary when he retired from the show in 2015. “It wasn’t just another day at the office,” Benard notes. “I remember in the scene, I was holding back emotion and tears. The scenes weren’t written emotional, but I was.”
Reflecting on the relationship between Sonny and Luke, Benard muses, “They were kind of like brothers, whereas Sonny and Jason are more like uncle and nephew, you know? That’s why he’s doing what he’s doing for Laura” — protecting her from the nefarious Sidwell (Carlo Rota) — “because Luke was like a brother to him, so he’s going to take care of his loved ones.”
Fond Farewell
After Geary wrapped up his time in Port Charles, he moved full-time to Amsterdam, where he lived until his passing. Less than a month before he died, Geary’s husband, Claudio Gamo, shared a video of Geary watching and enjoying Benard’s interview with Genie Francis on his mental health-themed YouTube series, State of Mind. “That meant a lot to me,” says Benard. “And then for him to pass away so soon after that … it was bittersweet.”
Bittersweet would be an apt description for what fans can expect of the special tribute show. “It was beautifully written,” Benard says of the script. “I played it emotional because the scenes were emotional.” In the hour, Sonny will come together with other members of the community with close ties to Luke, including his ex-wife, Carly (Laura Wright), who is Luke’s niece, and Tracy (Jane Elliot), Luke’s ex-wife. “Tracy hates Sonny with a passion,” Benard chuckles. “She’s not his favorite person, either, but in the scenes, everything is put aside. This is not the time to hate someone; this is the time to be there for each other, for Luke.
“It’s a beautiful tribute,” he concludes. “I could tell it would be just by reading the script, but then the acting in some of the scenes is beautiful, too. Everybody should watch.”
