The attractive, blonde Ms. Francis got her start in
television on "General Hospital" as a teenager (following a guest
appearance on ABC's prime-time series, "Family") and literally grew
up in the enormously popular role of Laura. The wedding of Laura to Luke
Spencer (played by Anthony Geary) in November, 1981, remains the most-watched
daytime drama event in the history of television. The fictional couple's
romance even garnered a cover story in Newsweek magazine.
The names of Genie
Francis and Laura Spencer are nearly synonomous in the minds of most daytime
television fans, possibly because Ms. Francis began portraying Laura Vining,
biological daughter of Dr. Lesley Williams, when she was only fourteen years
old. Born in Engelwood, New Jersey, on May 26, 1962, Genie's only previous
acting experience was a guest appearance on "Family" a year earlier.
Francis moved at age 7 with her parents & 2 brothers to L.A., where
her father, Broadway stage actor Ivor Francis, pursued his dream of becoming a
star. But it was his daughter who was
destined for fame. At age 13 Francis decided she wanted to act & asked her
father to give her junior high school photo to his agent: "My parents
said, ‘Have Murray send her out on auditions. She'll get discouraged &
she'll give up.' I went out on auditions & I won. And I've worked ever
since." Five years later, in 1981, she left General Hospital, returning
for brief appearances in 1983 and 1984.
In 1979, after ten years
apart, Genie took a plane to Boston to reunite with her then 29 year old
sister, Shelley Gorham. “I remember coming off the plane, looking all around, and
wondering. I knew my sister would recognize me because of television, but I
hardly knew what she looked like. I thought I spotted her across the room and went up and kind
of stared. She said, ‘Genie?’ And I said, ‘Shelley?’ It was really something. We
just hugged each other and cried. We didn’t realize how much we loved each
other,” Genie says softly.
Genie comments that
General Hospital was only her second job, her first job she quotes, “I played
this little bitch…this roller skating bitch.” (Intimate Portrait, November 5th,
2001) “They asked me if I could ride a
skate board and I said, ‘Sure I can’.
Never been on one in my life!” (Genie to Rosie O’Donnell in 1996) Genie then gained the role of Laura Vining
Webber, on General Hospital in 1976.
Laura has been married three times before the age of twenty one (17
years old to Scotty Baldwin, 19 years old to Luke Spencer, 20 years old to
Stavros Cassadine), had three children, all of whom have almost died several
times, been pronounced dead twice herself, had a past love, Stefan Cassadine
come back into her life, the memories of being held prisoner, all that yet she
has kept her sanity!
Genie comments on being
Laura. “I really wanted people to see what I was capable of doing.
And I built Laura on all of my need to be loved. Laura was all about… she was
making heart. Looking to belong somewhere. And that was my jumping off point.
And Gloria saw that in me, and decided to push me as the young heroine.” (Intimate Portrait, November 5th,
2001)
Genie Francis, at the
young age of seventeen, had a tender friendship and romance with onscreen
husband at the time, Kin Shriner (Scotty Baldwin). While Laura received her first kiss on General Hospital, Genie
did as well. “You Haven’t Done Much Kissing, Have You?” Kin Shriner told
Genie Francis when they did their first love scene. “I was terrified to do it in front of everyone,” Genie said.
“Afterward, everyone on the set said, “Isn’t that sweet? Laura had her first
kiss.’ And Kin said, ‘Yeah, I could tell.’ I was so embarrassed!” Genie said,
laughing at the memory. The
relationship didn’t last very long, Kin who at the time was 26 while Genie was
17. When Scotty Baldwin punched Luke
over the boat attempting to kill him in 1980, beginning Luke and Laura’s first
time on the run, Kin Shriner left General Hospital…and Genie.
Genie gained her extreme popularity playing the
famous “Luke and Laura”, no last names needed.
Genie and Tony went from stopping a world wide Mob King, Frank Smith,
having their first summer on the run, to stopping the world from Mikkos
Cassadines insane vision of controlling the world with a weather machine. Genie grew extremely close with Tony, he
being the only one knowing her lifestyle.
Their chemistry in real life exploded on camera into the greatest couple
in history, Luke and Laura.
The popularity became too intense for Genie
Francis. “People were screaming at us
like we were the Beatles or something,” she quoted in November, 2001, on her
Intimate Portrait. Genie hid for twenty
years her addiction to alcohol and cocaine.
By 1981, shortly after Luke and Laura’s wedding, Genie needed to break
free of General Hospital for several reasons.
She left abruptly, Laura being claimed “dead”, only to find out two
years later she had been held prisoner by the Cassadines, forced to marry
Stavros. Genie in less than a year got
her life on track again. Two years
later, she returned for five weeks to play Laura, after Tony Geary asked her as
a favor so he could leave with her, and Luke and Laura would “ride off into the
sunset”. Tony and Genie returned one
last time briefly to General Hospital in 1984, Laura telling Luke she was
pregnant with their first child. It would
be ten years before Genie and Tony would ever be Luke and Laura again.
After leaving General
Hospital, Ms. Francis appeared in the television movie Bare Essence, and in the
primetime series which followed it. She also co-starred in Books I, II and III
of the ABC miniseries North and South, and had recurring appearances on the primetime
series Murder She Wrote. In 1987 she joined Days of Our Lives as Diana
Colville, then moved to ABC's All My Children in 1990 to play the role of Ceara
Connor. While living in New York, Ms. Francis appeared in a number of theatre
productions. To the delight of her many fans, she returned "home" to
General Hospital in October, 1993.
It was desperately hard
for Genie to return to General Hospital, remembering the pain she was in when
she left. The loneliness, the drug
addiction, and having very little life of her own. As she walked up to the General Hospital building, a man opened
the door and said, “Welcome home,” and tears came to Genie.
Genie's extensive television work also included
recurring appearances on "Murder, She Wrote." Ms. Francis created the
role of Ceara Connor on ABC's daytime drama, "All My Children," in
1990. Her portrayal of an adult incest survivor earned her critical and viewer
plaudits. Genie Francis enjoyed being
on “All My Children”, far more than many other shows she did.
On the stage, she has appeared in "Crimes of
the Heart" and "See How They Run." This was Genie’s dream, to be on stage. Being on stage is what she feels was her best achievement in
acting. In 1991, Ms. Francis appeared in the Williamstown Festival Theater
Production of "Defying Gravity." That same year, Genie made her New
York City debut in "The Baby Dance" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in
Greenwich Village. She also appeared in a Comedic Curtain Raiser at Manhattan
Class Company for their festival of One Acts, called "The Group."
Genie Francis and Anthony
Geary, (Luke and Laura) returned together to General Hospital on October 29th,
1993. They had a ten year old son,
Lucky, played by actor Jonathan Jackson from 1993-1999. Currently, Luke and Laura’s son is played by
Jacob Young. In 1996, the storyline
featuring the return of the Cassadine family to General Hospital gave her and
her co-stars, Anthony Geary, and Stephen Nichols, ample opportunity to display
their talent. As a consequence, Ms. Francis won a Soap Opera Digest award and
was also nominated for an Emmy in 1997.
Genie is married to actor/director Jonathan Frakes,
who starred in the popular syndicated television series, "Star Trek: The
Next Generation." They met on the
set of “North and South”, and fell in love.
They were married May 28th, 1988. They maintain residences in
both Los Angeles and Manhattan. Their first child, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was
born August 20, 1994. Their second
child, Elizabeth Francis, was born on May 30th, 1997. She has guest-starred on Third Rock from the Sun.
Into the new millennium,
Genie plays Laura, who has just divorced Luke.
Twenty years of life together and now that they are divorced, their love
is reoccurring in their thoughts. Genie
is thrilled in hopes of a reunion, but so far, it looks like Laura is proving
to herself she has a lot more strength than she previously thought, thanks to
Genie. Genie claims to not want to play
“the tragic princess” or “Mother Theresa” anymore. She wants Laura to become her own woman, and so far, it is
working! Genie enjoys time with her
family more than anything, but loves having Laura in her life. “When I’m not doing Laura, I’m doing Mommy.”
Genie Francis remains very close to her “other” soul mate, Anthony Geary, after over twenty years of friendship. They tend to not discuss their relationship anymore than saying it’s a profound love, claiming further comments would somehow diminish it. The cast and crew of General Hospital remains her second family. She quoted that when she was in the hospital about to give birth, she saw a phone and called General Hospital to tell everyone she was in labor!
BIRTHPLACE: Englewood, NJ
BIRTHDATE: May 26, 1962
HEIGHT: 5'5"
HAIR Blonde
EYES: Blue
Genie Ann Francis:
Husband: Jonathan Frakes, May 28th, 1988-Present
Father: Ivor Francis
Mother: Rosemary Francis
Brother: Kenny
Sister: Shelley Gorham
Children: Jameson Ivor Frakes and Elizabeth Francis
Nieces: (Daughters of sister Shelley) Samantha, Danielle, Alison
Facts:
- At 17, Genie’s first real life romance was with actor Brodie Greer
- Mother, Rosemary Francis was a brief model and actress
- Genie’s father Ivor taught acting at UCLA
- Genie’s father is of English descent; her mother Lithuanian.
- Genie is a confirmed Catholic
- Tony and Genie are closest to each other than anyone else on General Hospital
- Tony Geary felt their chemistry the first day working together
- Genie in 1995, worked with Leigh McCloskey in TV movie, Terror in the Shadows, and only months later their characters on General Hospital crossed when Laura was arrested for Damian Smith’s murder
- Kin Shriner and Genie had a brief, real life romance in 1979
- Genie feels her true home is New York, though she lives in Los Angeles
- It was brother Kenny who found Genie in her worst stage of depression and drug addiction, he took her to the hospital
The Incredible Hunk (1996) (TV Series) (Voice)
Terror in the Shadows (1995) (TV) - Suspense
Camp Nowhere (1994) - Comedy
John Jakes' Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III (1994) (mini) - Historical Drama
Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss (1993) (TV) - Mystery
North and South II (1986) (mini) - Historical Drama
North and South (1985) (mini) - Historical Drama
Bare Essence (1982) (TV) - Drama
Notable Guest Appearances
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (11/95) - TV Series
General Hospital (1977-1982, 1983, 1984, 1993-Present) – Laura Webber Spencer
Days of Our Lives (1987-1989) - Diana Colville Winters
Loving (1991) – Ceara Conner Hunter
All My Children (1990-1992) – Ceara Conner Hunter