Mauricio Jose Morales, born on the 1st of March, 1963, is an American actor known Maurice Benard and popular for his roles in the television shows “All My Children” and “General Hospital”.
So how much is Benard’s net worth? As of early 2016, it is reported to be $2 million, gained mostly from his long career in acting from television to movies.
Maurice Benard Net Worth $2 Million
Born in Martinez, California, of Nicaraguan and Salvadorian ancestry, Benard is the son of Humberto and Martha. Benard was known as a troublemaker back in high school and education did not really interest him. Soon after matriculation he decided not to pursue further education, but worked as a model and performed in local theatres in the Bay Area. His career in television started in 1987, when he was cast to be a part of the television show “All My Children”.
Benard’s character as Nico Kelly in “All My Children” became a platform for his acting career, opening several opportunities and helping his net worth. After two years, he left the show and ventured into movies. In 1991, Benard starred in the television movie “Her Wicked Ways” and “Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter”. He also starred in “Ruby” in 1992 and “Mi Vida Loca” in 1993.
After several guest appearances in television shows including “DEA”, “Stat” and “Dark Justice”, Benard landed another television drama series “General Hospital”, in which he played one of the main characters, Sonny Corinthos, who’s a mobster with a bipolar disorder. The character and the show both became a hit, propelling his career to further success and helping his wealth as well. His performance on the show gained him multiple nominations from Emmy, Soap Opera Digest and ALMA Awards and he eventually won some, particularly for General Hospital” of which he is still a part.
Though Benard is famously known in “General Hospital”, he has also worked in other projects including “Operation Splitsville”, “Crystal Clear”, “The Penny” and most recently in the movie “Joy” with Jennifer Lawrence. All of these endeavours helped in his career and net worth.
In terms of his personal life, Benard married wife Paula in 1990 and has four children, plus he adopted his sister-in-law Heather Ann, when his mother-in-law unexpectedly passed away. Benard is also known as an advocate for people who have bipolar disease: he himself was diagnosed with the same condition during his early twenties. He is working with National Mental Health America as a spokesperson to educate people how to recognize those with bipolar disorder and how to help them, and also sharing his own battle with the disease. He speaks in different conventions and even television shows including “Oprah”, “Entertainment Tonight” and “The View”. Today, Benard is still active with his cause for people with bipolar disease.
