General Hospital Star Cheers Ric and Sonny’s Long-Awaited Truce
After decades of bad blood on General Hospital, brothers Ric and Sonny are finally calling a truce — and Rick Hearst says bringing the long-awaited reconciliation to life was a thrill, signaling a new chapter for Port Charles’ most combustible siblings.
General Hospital finally hit pause on the Ric vs. Sonny war. After years (decades, really) of these brothers trying to destroy each other, the show just gave them a truce. Rick Hearst, who plays Ric Lansing, is not mad about it. In fact, he sounds pretty excited about where this could go.
Hearst on seeing that script: finally
Hearst told Soap Opera Digest he was genuinely happy to get a script that put Ric and Sonny in the same room with something real to play. He said any time he and Maurice Benard (Sonny) get to work together, they both get charged up. When he saw those pages, he shot Benard a text basically saying: Bro, we get to work together again — see you Monday (or whichever day they were due on set). Benard texted right back, short and sweet: 'I can't wait.'
'If there is any opportunity for the development of this character to go into a new chapter, and have that chapter involve his history with Sonny, I’m all-in.'
Why this truce actually matters
This is not just two guys burying a hatchet for a scene and then back to business. Hearst is both thrilled and curious about Ric actively trying to put the baggage down and fix things with his brother. He also flagged something longtime viewers will appreciate: Sonny’s bond with Jason has always complicated Ric’s place in Sonny’s world. Hearst thinks there is rich drama in Ric and Jason orbiting the same man — competing not just for attention, but for trust — with less outright hatred and more tension you can actually build on.
And there’s a personal angle Hearst wants the show to lean into: Sonny is Ric’s only living connection to his mother. If that piece stays front and center, this cease-fire could stick — or at least give them a reason to try.
- Hearst was thrilled to get a script with substantial Ric/Sonny scenes and says he and Maurice Benard love working together.
- He texted Benard when he saw the pages; Benard replied 'I can't wait.'
- Hearst is 'all-in' on Ric turning the page if it means a real new chapter with Sonny.
- He sees story potential in Ric and Jason both angling for Sonny’s trust instead of defaulting to pure animosity.
- He hopes the truce lasts, noting Sonny is Ric’s only surviving link to his mother — a family tie that could pull them closer.