Intimate Portrait: Genie Francis

[@amandaredd3057]

She's still absolutely stunning and has one of the most incredibly beautiful smiles I've ever seen

[@gloriarider9688]

"Genie Francis"-- ALWAYS lit up the screen & ALWAYS WILL!!

[@lilflower25]

Genie Francis is stunning. Best soap actress ever!

[@ChristopherIGomes]

Genie Francis belongs in movies.... she is an exceptional actress... cast her Hollywood!!!!

[@amandaredd3057]

It must be added, as a long time GH fan (and the child of GH fans - yes BOTH mom AND dad!) - that Gloria Monty was a freaking legend

[@kellysisney1383]

Very talented young woman and my heart goes out to her you're amazing woman

[@lbroderick783]

I loved her as Brett in North and South! Brett and Billy were my favorite couple in the mini series! Genie Francis looked beautiful in the series.

[@ElephantPatronus]

Rewatching that scene where Laura sees Lucky's body brought me to instant tears just now. Wow. Her reaction as a mother was so spot on and riveting. She is absolutely amazing.

[@marianyulo9066]

Genie you were a beautiful young girl looking at your young pictures you were gorgeous . You were never a geek .

[@tcardinal1612]

For Gloria Monty; producer and director, who was the creator and drive behind the Luke and Laura characters, to say she didn't know what was happening with Tony and Genie, was totally irresponsible! 😢

[@jasonlindsey9946]

I bet her father was delighted with Genie. She reminds me of the kind of girl that truly loved her family. Those are certainly rare these days.

[@annasloan2349]

38:41 that entire scene..what an actress..stunningly gorgeous and such courage to go into a scene like that and nail it to that extent. I imagine if genie wasnt so pigeonholed by gh and luke and laura she would have rivaled screen actresses like glenn close and Merrill streep..she had the potential to be limitless in her career if it wasnt for the t.v forces stopping her from expanding. I can understand frakes comment that if only people knew how good she really was...based off the force she is in that one scene alone i totally see what he means.

[@lilwinged5291]

I love how honest she is ...

[@sharonjonsy9412]

Thank you for sharing this nugget of gold, Genie Francis will never know, a fan from the very beginning has made it through despair and loneliness watching Luke and Laura here on KZbin for years. You've my angel too Genie.

[@rtfe83able]

Beautiful lady! You go Genie!

[@anglerfish8278]

Go where?

[@Sam-cg6rv]

I always felt like her and tony had chemistry off screen as well as on. If not they were the best actors I have ever watched.

[@tereasacofield6109]

I love Luke and Laura I watched that weeding I still watch general hospital now2023

[@TheKristinShow70]

I remember coming home on the school bus, I couldn’t wait to see Luke and Lora’s wedding. 😁 General Hospital was my all time favorite soap opera!! My mother always taped the show on our Betamax because my school was so far away, i always missed half the show. Thanks mom!!

[@marianyulo9066]

Genie Francis was my idol . Growing up . I started watching gh after the rape . I say she the most beautiful woman on tv . And Anthony Geary was so HOT . I still have a crush on him . She’s so beautiful and classy .

[@Lukejunkie]

Even though I am older than she is, Genie has always been my role model. What a classy, beautiful lady! I would love to see her back on GH, but I would love to see her in anything!

[@annasloan2349]

Yep by felicia

[@karlamazzola7536]

Dear Beckytm, I would just like to THANK YOU so very much!! I had this recorded on VHS and the tape had broken. I am soo very grateful for you for sharing and posting this. I am a big Genie Francis & L&L fan!! This is so special to me I cant even put it into words, except to say thank you once again. You are a very kind person, and you have a subscriber forever. THANK YOU!!

[@beckytm]

Thank you for the wonderful comment!

[@karlamazzola7536]

You are more than welcome!!

[@amandaredd3057]

I'm glad that the show went back to the rape storyline in the late 90s with Lucky finding out after Liz's attack and gave it attention as was really needed I think.

[@anniefenter8697]

Love Genie !!!! There would probably be no General Hospital these days without Luke and Laura. It was on the brink of Cancelation in the late '70's. Yes, there have been some other great pairings, but L & L were pure golden magic. I watched their story play out in real time and it was months and years of real romance, so much love and exciting intrigue. I will always love them for that!!!❤❤

[@lynnwilliams8295]

I’ll admit it! I was almost 13 and I was hooked on GH specifically Luke and Laura. I skipped school the day of the wedding lol. My older sister watched it so I did too. It was the greatest era in soaps. The only other couple that came close for me was on Days of our lives Sami and EJ.

[@franceslarsen4037]

Just Here Seriously???? She was 19 at the time....had basically sacrificed normal teen life, high school, relationships, worked God knows how many hour each day into the night (the department store scenes were filmed late at night) and most soap actors turn up for work early in the morning... she had been told it didn't matter whether she lived or died, that Tony carried the whole show.... how would you like to work in an environment where you're considered so dispensable?? Yeah, I get it - I was 20 when she "disappeared" off the docks, and I felt the awful void of her not being on the show, I agree, it was a horrible feeling of loss... but my God, she was a human being with limitations.

[@begoneloser]

She played a 17yr old but was really 16 when Luke fell in love wuth her. She was like 15 when she started dating Scotty. So she had a very fast paced life. She fely bad for becoming the bread winner at home (She felt she was taking something away from her father, althou he was her biggest supporter). Yet she stayed this amazing Human beibg.

[@misshelloareyouthere]

KEY: When the character Laura forgave her rapist Luke instead of press charges and they both “move on “in 1979. The audience did the same in 1979. Yes some people didn’t like it but that was the key. Gloria Monty took a gamble with this bold storyline and Luke and Laura made soap history.

[@renar3618]

I remember when Genie Francis first appeared on GH as Laura Vining. She replaced another girl who had played Laura for a very short time.

[@juliefournier2704]

Luke & Laura the best couple ever

[@michellegussow]

My adolescence was lonely, desperate and all those things she experienced. These things are not exclusive to people who are on TV.

[@bsota8513]

Probably more common than not.

[@lanabritt8783]

That is true, but you probably also weren't working a full-time job supporting your family and being offered drugs by adults

[@marianyulo9066]

Luke and Laura were the best thing to happen on day time tv.

[@kleptoclouds6117]

They remarried after this aired (Luke and Laura) But then divorced again. The key now is to get him to get back to GH long enough for them to end up together. Once and for all.

[@matthewcampbell7985]

My late father discovered that genie Francis is married Patrick Stewart's star trek tng co-star Jonathan frakes the role of Commander riker in 1988. For 31 years frakes is on star trek tng as riker and genie Francis is on general hospital as Laura Collins Lulu's mother.

[@daviddeaton1575]

I can remember coming home after high school and watching General Hospital with all the family What boy was not in love with Larura and girls in love with Luke Those where the best of times

[@ronpreville2174]

We love you genie!

[@muckstar23]

Who didn’t do drugs back then

[@sandyjuntunen4088]

Rape was never fashionable or romantic. People who didn't watch the entire series day-to-day don't realize how complicated the relationship was between L&L, how bitterly Luke hated himself for a genuine mistake- a loss of reason brought on by desperation, fear, and real love for her- as well as his desire to save her even at cost of his life. He risked it repeatedly bc he truly loved her. It was not something in his nature, not an attempt to control or harm anyone, especially her. It made him different in people's eyes, and they forgave him. So did she, bc she saw his self-hatred, his willingness to die for her, and bc she recognized her own attraction to him played a role in his mistake. The story was unprecedented, it was thrilling and romantic. Coupled with the chemistry of the two and each ones great acting, it's easier to understand the success of the story. It's never been matched, which is all the more reason it's so wrong the later writers destroyed the characters and ruined the story. It was a true betrayal of millions of fans. Just my personal opinion.

[@lynnmoore7029]

I agree with you 100%. And I think its a shame that both TG and GF both appear to hate the L&L saga now, and it made them famous, which is what they wanted back then.

[@kathylanda681]

Thank you so much Sandy. I had this on my mind I love that you put this out there. I just love Genie Francis I always did they ripped apart both there characters. I don’t care to watch anymore because they just can’t understand what they did toLuke & Laura’s romance it broke my heart. I can go into this more deeply but we all know what happened in the end. All I have to say is Genie you have heart, strength and a sweet and tender spirit keep up the good work Good luck. Thank you so very much Rosie.

[@ChristopherIGomes]

100% agree - it was so layered… I had it all wrong..

[@Yesica1993]

It's amazing how I grew up - along with a generation of others - being taught that rape was "romantic"!

[@seanm6215]

Genie must be happy now that after over 35 years the show can have a successful Laura without Luke roaming around. Just like they did with Luke durning the years Laura wasn't around.

[@BBQFanNo1]

Some sources for many years state she was born in Englewood, New Jersey while other sources state she was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Which one is correct?

[@kathylanda681]

It was Englewood NJ thanks. Rosie

[@simonekegel2813]

Parker Stevenson .

[@lynnmoore7029]

So from what I get from this interview is that she very much disliked the Luke and Laura saga. And it messed up her entire teenage years.

[@kleptoclouds6117]

Oh I don't think so at all. I think they were turbulent years due to outside factors. She has often talked about how strongly she felt about Luke and Laura.

[@martharosas9526]

I remember what i was doing that day

[@Theaddora]

Are we supposed to know who that boy is?

[@yogiworks]

Mark Creaghe

[@kimberlytyrcha5930]

I never liked the fact that they turned a rape into a love story. That always bothered me a lot. That's why I never liked Luke and Laura together.

[@nikkibest5010]

But did you even watch the storyline? Because it really wasn't as bad as this made it sound. If you didn't follow it then you really dont know what you're talking about.

[@kimberlytyrcha5930]

@@nikkibest5010 ...I watched GH for decades. I know that Luke raped Laura. Nothing is ever going to change that. You can spin it any way you want, but he raped her. It doesn't matter what came after that. He raped her.

[@nikkibest5010]

Then why are you even interested in this program? I mean if the whole thing just makes you so disgusted and all. Why go anywhere near anything that has to do with it? That's just masochistic.

[@kimberlytyrcha5930]

@@nikkibest5010 ...I said I didn't like Luke & Laura. Never said I didn't like the rest of GH. Why are you so bothered by what I think, anyway?

[@kleptoclouds6117]

It was a different era. Was it right? No. It would never fly today, not in a million years. But perceptions and such were different then. I think her falling for him was in SPITE of the rape, because she cared for him and that night she knew he was desperate because he thought he would die after he didn't kill that guy for the Frank Smith organization. It was not appropriate for them to talk about the rape as if it WASN'T a rape. But I think she fell in love with him in spite of it. Her character, just like herself irl, was very young and naive then, and because of that she may have romanticized it. I would have liked to have seen more attention given to it in showing how wrong it was and the consequences for such a thing because I think that would be more respectful to victims of sexual assault. But I knew why they handled it the way they did, and let's face it, it was controversial and salacious and that gets ratings.

[@paulcachia3480]

Get rid of Scott though, bring back the Luke and Laura that once was! yea yea yea mania

[@yvonnespearing]

WTH supporting her family that's not right...taking her cash because shes working her asre off bs....to help them a little but she payed there rent food for 5 years bs!!

[@RaisingHellAgain]

I skipped school just to watch that wedding, But she really on her own ruined soaps for millions when she left. I for one stopped watching them and refused to watch a damn thing she was ever in again, Most of the people I know stopped watching all soaps as well so congrats for ruining daytime tv forever Genie

[@christineadams1284]

Just Here I am one of the one's that stopped watching TV when Genie left after the wedding. I know, congrats for ruining daytime after who ever it was that said such a mean thing to Genie.

[@whiteshell1]

Pfff she didnt ruin soaps forever. If the story did for you that's on you

[@annasloan2349]

@@whiteshell1I know right? I don't blame genie for wanting to get out from under the stigma of Laura and try other things. She grew up so fast and needed to grow and change and learn. She came back and that's the important thing. No matter genie is the queen of soaps rivaled only by Susan Lucci

[@kimberlytyrcha5930]

Just Here...Are you kidding? She was battling a cocaine addiction and she needed to leave the show to get clean. Her life and her health were far more important than any soap opera ever would be.

[@annasloan2349]

@@kimberlytyrcha5930 amen, preach it sister. I have been reading through the comments and genie had so much backlash for leaving the show it's just gross. I understand that her charisma brings her a lot of fans, I am one of those, but people must remember she is a person with a real life outside of just playing Laura and she had every right to put her health and well-being first. Sounds like she had little to no support until Johnathan came along and gave her some Strong shoulders to lean on. Great comment by the way and I'm glad you cleared that up.