A goal of any actor, besides working steadily, is to test his skills by playing a variety of roles during the course of his career. For an actor on a soap opera, however the opportunity to do other projects is sometimes hindered by a busy schedule or lack of vision on the part of film amd primetime producers to employ "soap actors" in their productions. When Maurice Benard, who returned to the pivital role of Sonny last Decemeber, left daytime in 1997, he was able to overcome the soap opera jinx and find the kind of challenging acting jobs that he was looking for. He immediatley landed featured roles in Splitsville and We Married Margo and worked on Extreme Duress, Eric Roberts latest movie. Now, in what he is praising as his most pleasing expirences, Benard portrays a priest with a secret, Father Thomas Rouke, in a short film that was still untitled at press time.
"I've always wanted to play a priest, partially because of my mother" he says. "She'd love to see me play a priest. I just wanted to go inside a priest's head and see what that's all about. This character became a priest, but I don't think it's really what he wanted to do. I think he did it out of guilt, and he's been doing it ever since, and he can't get out. He had an affair with a woman 15 years ago, and she had a baby but he didn't know, and her father had the baby killed. He's seen the woman quite a bit as she comes in to his confessional and she's a little wacked" When she comes into his office brandishing a gun, however things quickly change. "He's thinking there are probably no bullets in it but there may be, and there are." Benard says of the scene. "He takes the gun away and starts telling him about the baby, and he freaks out. So the film starts out with her freaked out and my character cool. By the end she's fine and he's lost." Benard drew on hs past conversations with clergymen for this role. "I have spoken to priests in the past, because of the stuff I've been through in my life. But this priest, in the way he's dressed, he's a little different than a regular, conservitive priest; he's kind of hip. "I've observed priests and I just went of that" adds Benard about how he prepared for this role. "I didn't go to talk to a Farther because I didn't think I needed to, but I did my own homework. It felt pretty good to me." The actor found the physical aspects of the character challening as well as very different from his GH role. "Sonny's all over the place" he says but this guy had to be controlled and then when he starts freaking out I let him go. You'll see the change.
"It was a great learning experience for me" he continues. "I've never been the lead in a film. Even though this was a short film I learned alot about how to pace myself and how to make each moment work." The film was written and produced by the acclaimed Susan Black, whose credits include the Emmy- winning series A Year in the Life and the novel asphyxiation. Black's production company, Blue Gardenia Prductions, has a deal with the Ruddy Morgan Organization, namely Al Ruddy, the Oscar-winning producer of The Godfather.
Benard's manager introduced him to Ruddy, who in turn set up a meeting with Black. Both Ruddy and Black were quite taken with Benard. "Al's a big fan of Maurice's" says Black. "There are several projects, features and television we want to put him in, none of which I can talk about, but Al's a fan. I just so believe in Maurice. I don't think it's so ridiculous that people on soaps can be in films. I refuse to reinforce that bull, so I decided that if people need to see him on film, because there are several things that Al and I want to put him in, I'll put him in film."
It was Benard's work on GH AIDS storyline that convinced Black of Benard's abilities. "That was just the most amazing acting I've ever seen. I saw his photo sitting around the office one day and I just freaked out. I said "Has this guy been in here?" He's such an incredible actor." So I dragged him in and said ,"What are you interested on doing?" "Interestingly he always wanted to play a priest," Black continues. "I did not know that I that; I just knew he was an amazing actor. I also needed someone who can literally never drop a line. The crew was amazed. They kept saying "He can do it in one take!" Now in post production, the film will be shown at film festivals later this year.
"We'll submit it to Sundance." says Black "Because all those people involved literally Acadamy Award winners or Emmy winners, it will definitley be in the festivals. I imagine some agent will call and want to develop it as an actual feature, so that's a possibility down the line."

Benard was not short on praise for his experience on the film. "In order for me to do what I do, the atmosphere has to be right" he says. "The atmosphere with the crew, with Sue the director [Erin Upson], and the actress [Stephanie Geyer] was terrific. When you have everybody happy, you can do your best work, and that's the way it was. For me it was a godsend to meet Sue because when you have that good a writer, you can't ask for anything more."

improvisations were what largely accounted for the scene's improvment.

At press time, the flick which is based on Shapiro's (who not only stars,but is also credited as writer and director) real-life experience, did not have a release date. "Miramax and Fox are intereste," Zakman says, "but we think it would be better to take it to the festivals first."

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