GENERAL HOSPITAL - Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina) in a scene from ABC Daytime's "General Hospital." "General Hospital" airs Monday-Friday (3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. GH010 (ABC/Adam Larkey) MAURICE BENARD, LEXI AINSWORTH

Maurice Benard knows precisely why his character Sonny has survived throughout the years on General Hospital. First and foremost…ladies love a challenge. So tuning in each day to watch multiple women try to seduce Sonny away from his mobster background is pretty much a mandatory play-date.

Still, getting respect from the industry has been tough for the actor, who says daytime dramas are often viewed less favorably. But, Benard tells HollywoodOutbreak.com it takes stamina to act on a soap and the guest stars learn fairly quickly how grueling the schedule is.

Click onto video for why Maurice Benard believes fans love Sonny, how tough working on a daytime drama is and why he thinks the show continues to grab those viewers.

General Hospital airs Monday through Friday, 3:00 p.m. ET, 2:00 p.m. PT on ABC.