From 'Sonny' To 'Gotti

I remember when Maurice Benard first popped up on television. It was "All My Children," circa 1987. One of the few male actors to grace that sound-stage and not wind up married to Erica Kane, even if only for a long weekend, he next caught my attention playing the legendary Desi Arnaz in the TV movie "Lucy & Desi: Before The Laughter," with Frances Fisher playing the nation's favorite redhead to this day.

But it would be when he moved to Port Charles where he'd find the role simply waiting for him. Benard has played "mobster with a heart of gold" Sonny Corinthos since 1993, snapping up a well-deserved Emmy along the way. Next stop: Gotti.