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General Hospital’s Maurice Benard and Johnny Wactor Unpack the Challenge of Maintaining Real-Life Relationships While Doing Love Scenes: ‘I Couldn’t Take It’
“I can’t get her jealous if I try!”
A whole lot of soap couples have been torn apart after one catches the other in an illicit kiss. Of course, that’s somewhat ironic given that in real-life, the romantic partners of soap actors usually have to watch their mates turn up the heat with other people!
“My girlfriend is not an actor,” Johnny Wactor (Brando) told Maurice Benard (Sonny) when the General Hospital stars recently chatted during an Instagram live session. “And I’m the first actor she’s dated. So it’s difficult having that conversation. ‘It’s my job!'”
More: The “other” Elizabeth Webber speaks out
To his credit, Wactor admits he understands why watching him share passionate scenes with on-screen wife wife Sofia Mattsson might be difficult on his girlfriend. “[She asked], ‘What if my job was kissing good looking guys?’ I probably wouldn’t like it. That’s why I’m not dating an actress!”
For his part, Benard remembers well those conversations with wife Paula. “In the beginning, she was very jealous and we had a lot of arguments,” he laughs. “When a love scene would be in a script, she would be like, ‘Why another one?'”
This particular topic came up quite a bit during the Sonny/Brenda scenes, when Benard and Vanessa Marcil were one of the hottest couples on soaps. These days, although Sonny pretty routinely finds himself sharing kisses with Cynthia Watros’ Nina (and, before her, Laura Wright’s Carly), Paula’s attitude has definitely changed.
More: Lexi Ainsworth explains Kristina’s absence
“Now, I can’t get her jealous if I try!” laughs Benard. “It does nothing! But that’s [what happens after] over 30 years of being together.”
And like Wactor, Benard admits he’d struggle were the roles reversed. “I said to Paula, ‘I wouldn’t be with you [if you were an actress], ’cause I couldn’t take it!’ I really couldn’t take it if I saw Paula kissing another man on screen!”
So who are the real-life partners dealing with this challenge? Check out our gallery of General Hospital stars and their significant others!
Image: Emiley Schweich/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
1/28
<p><em>General Hospital</em> icon Genie Francis, known to fans as Laura Vining Webber Baldwin Spencer and now Collins, has been married to Jonathan Frakes since 1988. The couple originally met on the primetime soap opera <em>Bare Essence</em> and later reunited for the epic miniseries <em>North and South. </em>Frakes is best known for his role as William Riker in <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> and several spin-off movies. They share a son Jameson Ivor, born in 1994, and daughter Elizabeth Frances, born in 1997.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
2/28
<p><em>General Hospital</em> bad boy William deVry (the late Julian Jerome) has been partnered with Rebecca Staab for years. Staab is known for playing Elizabeth Barrington on <em>Port Charles</em> and Daphne Collins in the 1991 reboot of <em>Dark Shadows</em>. Her big break in daytime was on<em> Loving</em> as Cecilia Thompson; she later played Jesse Matthews on <em>Guiding Light</em>. The couple is very dedicated to their pets and animal rights. After deVry was killed off <em>General Hospital, </em>he and Staab relocated to his home country of Canada.</p>
Image: Netflix/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
3/28
<p>Josh Swickard, who plays Detective Harrison Chase on<em> General Hospital</em>, married Lauren Swickard on December 29, 2019. Lauren is an actress, writer and producer, and both she and her better half starred in Netflix’s <em>Roped</em> and A <em>California Christmas, </em>the latter which was written by Mrs. S. In April 2021, the couple welcomed into the world their firstborn, daughter Savannah Kay. They are expecting their first son together this year.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
4/28
<p>Married since 2002, Drew’s portrayer and his lovely wife have two children, a son and a daughter. When the couple met, the future Mrs. Mathison was anything but starstruck, the <em>All My Children</em> alum <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcnTkvpL_Sx/" target="_blank">Instagrammed in 2022</a>. “She had no idea who I was… She only watched <em>General Hospital</em>” — keeping an especially close eye on Jack Wagner (ex-Frisco)! Vanessa recently appeared on several episodes of her husband’s new daytime home as Mia Lobardi, an executive coach.</p>
Image: Howard Wis/JPI
5/28
<p>Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) has been married to Russell Young since 1992. The couple has three children together, Sadie Beatrice, Dylan Joseph and Cash Justice. Young is a British-American artist best known for large silkscreen paintings using imagery drawn from recent history and pop culture. </p>
Image: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic/Getty Images
6/28
<p>As the soap vet has gone from playing John McBain to Silas Clay to Hamilton Finn, a welcome constant in his life has been his beautiful missus. The actor and model wed in 2004 and have two children, Lilah and Jack.</p>
Image: John Pascal/JPI
7/28
<p>Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber) and Michael Saucedo (once upon a time Juan Santiago) never had a romance on <em>General Hospital</em> but did off camera. The couple married in 2001 and have three children together: Ethan Riley, Ella Bailey and Emerson Truett. An actress since a young age, Herbst would never say no to her children getting into showbiz but has said that she isn’t going to push them, either.</p>
Image: John Pascal/JPI
8/28
<p><em>General Hospital’s</em> Roger Howarth (who’s gone from playing Todd Manning to Franco Baldwin to Austin Gatlin-Holt) has been married to Cari Stahler since 1992. They have two children, Langston and Julian. Stahler had a part in the 1999 film <em>Raw Nerve</em>. Howarth previously played Todd on the daytime drama<em> One Life to Live </em>and starred on <em>Loving </em>and<em> As the World Turns.</em></p>
Image: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix
9/28
<p>Poor Kiki Jerome may be resting in peace — damn you, Ryan Chamberlain! — but the Emmy winner who played her is living large. In 2020, the veteran of <em>The Young and the Restless</em> (as Abby Newman) married Irish actor Fergus, who you may recognize from <em>Being Erica</em>, <em>Scandal</em> or <em>Supernatural</em>. A year later, the couple added to their family photos twin girls, “Bubbles” and “Fuzzball.” (<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/620164/general-hospital-hayley-erin-twins-name-maude-juno-photos/" target="_blank">See them here.</a>)</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
10/28
<p><em>General Hospital </em>MVP Maura West (Ava Jerome) met her husband Scott DeFreitas on the <em>As the World Turns</em> set, where they played Carly Tenney and Andy Dixon, respectively. They were married in 2000. West is a dedicated mother to five: Joseph, Katherine, Basil and Birdie with DeFreitas, and Benjamin from a previous marriage to Jonathan Knight.</p>
Image: Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
11/28
<p><em>General Hospital </em>leading man Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins and sometimes Ryan Chamberlain) met and fell in love with his wife, Cady McClain (best known as <em>All My Children</em>‘s Dixie Cooney) during their daily commute to work on<em> As the World Turns, </em>where they played Craig Montgomery and Rosanna Cabot. The couple has been married since 2014.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
12/28
<p><em>General Hospital</em> fan fave John J. York has been married to Vicki Manners since 1986. They have one daughter, Schyler, and not too long ago became grandparents. Manners and York met when she checked him in to an audition for the 1983 film <em>Chattanooga Choo-Choo</em>. He is, of course, beloved to <em>General Hospital</em> viewers as Mac Scorpio.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
13/28
<p>Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe on <em>General Hospital </em>and its spin-off, <em>Port Charles</em>) and Wayne Northrop (who played Rex Stanton on <em>Port Charles</em> and both Roman Brady and Alex North on <em>Days of our Lives</em>) met in an acting class in 1980. Herring, legend has it, knew within a week that he was The One. They married in 1981 in an outdoor wedding and own a working cattle ranch with their two children, Hank and Grady.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
14/28
<p><em>General Hospital’s</em> Kin Shriner, who plays Scott Baldwin, has been involved with actress Trish Ramish since 1994 when they met at her friend’s restaurant. Ramish, also a skilled dancer, is best known for the film <em>A Night at the Roxbury</em>. She’s appeared regularly on <em>General Hospital</em> as a bartender at the Metro Court and a background extra during The Nurses’ Ball.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
15/28
<p>Kathleen Gati’s start on daytime was playing the recurring role of Taffy Winslow on <em>All My Children</em> from 1988-89. However, she’s also appeared in numerous television shows, films and plays. She’s best known as the scheming Dr. Liesl Obrecht, the role she currently plays on <em>General Hospital.</em> Gati spent five years in Hungary in the early 1990s, which probably helped perfect her Obrecht accent. She’s been married to Michael Browers since 2012.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
16/28
<p>Wally Kurth originally hit daytime playing Justin Kiriakis on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> and still plays the role. He later was cast as <em>General Hospital </em>playboy Ned Quartermaine, a part he also plays while still working over at NBC. Kurth, a musician and part of the band Kurth & Taylor, has performed on both soap operas. He’s been married to his wife, Deborah Yuhasz, since 2003. They share a son, Brogan George. His previous marriage to Rena Sofer (previously Lois Cerullo on <em>General Hospital</em>, now Quinn Forrester on <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>) added to his family a daughter, Rosabel Rosalind.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
17/28
<p>Lisa LoCicero got her start in daytime on Loving and its offshoot The City as Jocelyn Roberts. She currently plays Olivia Falconeri Quartermaine on <em>General Hospital. </em>She’s been married to Michael Patrick Jann since 2001, and they share a son Lukas and daughter Verity Marion. Jann is an actor, writer and director best known for appearing on MTV’s sketch comedy <em>The State</em>.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
18/28
<p>Dominic Zamprogna, who hails from Canada, got an early start in television appearing in the Canadian teen drama series <em>Edgemont. </em>He later appeared in the remake of <em>Battlestar Galactica</em> and finally landed the role of Dante Falconeri on <em>General Hospital.</em> He and his wife Linda Leslie married in November of 2009. They share three daughters: Anbilliene, Eliana and Adeline Pauline. </p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/28
<p>Emme Rylan (poor, comatose Lulu Spencer on <em>General Hospital</em>) has been in a long-term relationship with Don Money since 2007. The couple has three children together, Jackson Robert, Levi Thomas and Dakota. Money has also acted and appeared in the films <em>Truth or Dare</em> and <em>2 Lava 2 Lantula</em>.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
20/28
<p>Briana Nicole Henry, who played Commissioner Jordan Ashford, is married to musician Kris Bowers. Before joining <em>General Hospital</em>, she played Esmeralda on <em>Young & Restless</em>. Bowers and Henry married in June of 2020 during the middle of the pandemic and thus had a smaller wedding complete with custom face masks to mark the special day. Bowers is known for composing soundtracks to series such as <em>Dear White People</em> and <em>Bridgerton</em>.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
21/28
<p>Though June 24 is this happy couple’s wedding anniversary, it sounds like they seize every day as a chance to celebrate their love. When they reached four years as marrieds in 2021, Clark Instagrammed Amy Driscoll’s portrayer that he was “so happy to go through life with you by my side!”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
22/28
<p>Over the years, The Jackal has formed a beautiful pack with his missus! Since tying the knot in the spring of 2010, the New Hampshire native, who’s played Damian Spinelli off and on since 2006, and his better half have welcomed into the world two daughters, Juna and Finola.</p>
Image: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for IN Close Entertainment/Dig IN Magazine
23/28
<p>The model who stole the heart of the Emmy winner who played Morgan doesn’t just love him. As she Instagrammed on her honey’s 30th birthday in 2021, she loves him “till the wheels come off, baby!”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
24/28
<p>Laura Wright (aka Carly Corinthos) first met Wes Ramsey (formerly Peter August) when they both worked on <em>Guiding Light</em> playing Cassie Layne and Sam Spencer. It wasn’t until years later when they reconnected at the Daytime Emmys that a romance began. The couple currently lives together but rarely shared scenes on <em>General Hospital</em>. Wright has two children from her former marriage to John Wright, Lauren and John Jr.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
25/28
<p>Maurice Benard, <em>General Hospital </em>mobster Sonny Corinthos, has been married to wife Paula Smith since 1990. They have four children together: Cailey Sofia, Joshua James, Cassidy Rose and Heather Ann Smith. They adopted Heather when she was 15 after her mother, Smith’s sister, passed away. The family also has a number of animals, including goats, which are often featured on Benard’s social media. They recently welcomed their first grandchild. </p>
Image: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
26/28
<p>Playing Ms. Selina Wu, one of the heads of the original five families of Port Charles, now down to two, Lydia Look has been married to her husband Jen Kuo Sung since 2005. She speaks five, count them five languages, and is adept at playing dramatic and comedic roles, which she clearly brings to the table as Ms. Wu. Her husband, Jen Kuo Sunghas been a student of kung fu since as a teen who became enamored with Bruce Lee’s films. He is an actor as well as a voice-over artist for video games. T</p>
Image: Getty Images
27/28
<p>James Patrick Stuart is the son of the late Chad Stuart, part of the ’60s pop duo Chad and Jeremy. Like his father, he is a talented musician, having released several albums. He originally acted under the name Patrick Stuart but added James to distinguish himself from Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame. He’s been married to his wife Jocelyn Jane Stilwell since 2000, and they share two children. Before joining General Hospital as Valentin Cassadine, daytime viewers would have recognized him from his run as the nefarious Will Cortlandt on All My Children.</p>
Image: Getty Images
28/28
