Genie Francis continues to reign in daytime

A soap icon

Genie Francis is a beloved icon of daytime drama. She has had roles on three of the four remaining soap operas and also one that is no longer on the air. Her loyal fans adore her and consider the actress a reigning queen in the world of soaps. Francis got her start in a two-part episode of the television series Family that was titled "Jury Duty". Fame came when she joined General Hospital in 1977 in the recast role of Laura Weber, (later Baldwin, Spencer, Collins).

On November 17, 1981, 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the wedding of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura. This was the highest-rated hour in soap opera history but the following year Francis left the ABC daytime drama to star in the prime-time mini-series Bare Essence. This show was unsuccessful so the actress returned to her Port Charles character.

Genie Frances and Jonathan Frakes

In 1984, 1987, and 1990, Francis guest-starred as Jessica Fletcher’s niece Victoria on Murder, She Wrote. In 1985, she was part of the cast in the popular miniseries North and South as Brett Main Hazard. Also starring in the Civil War epic was Jonathan Frakes, (Stanley Hazzard) whom Francis first met on the set of Bare Essence.

The two began dating and married in 1988 and are still together. Francis reprised her role as Brett in 1986 and again 1994 in the miniseries North and South: Book II and North and South Book III Heaven and Hell. From 1987 to 1989, the actress portrayed Diana Coleville on Days of Our Lives, and from then to 1992 she was on All My Children as con artist Ceara Connor Hunter.

Additional acting credits

Francis has been very busy as an actress and has numerous credits under her belt. She had a role in the 1994 Perry Mason movie The Case of the Killer Kiss and appeared on the television series Lois and Clark the New Adventures of Superman, Third Rock From the Sun, Roseanne, Roswell and many others. Her relationship with General Hospital has had many ups and downs as the actress returned to the soap in 1993 but left in 1997 for a year and a half after giving birth to her second child.

Genie walked away from General Hospital yet again in 2002 due to contract issues but returned in 2004 for the 25th anniversary of Luke and Laura's wedding. In June of 2007, she won her first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and in December of that same year, she was in the movie The Note, on the Hallmark Channel.

General Hospital drama

Francis reprised her General Hospital character in August 2008 but only until November. On January 31, 2009, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie, Taking a Chance on Love. In 2012, she reprised her role as Peyton MacGruder in a sequel to Notes in the Hallmark Channel movie Notes from the Heart Healer. In March 2011, it was announced that Francis would return to daytime and join the cast of The Young and the Restless.

Her character was Genevieve Atkinson, the birth mother of Cane Ashby and the ex-wife of Colin Atkinson,(Tristan Rogers). In May 2012, Genie Francis won her second Daytime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Genevieve. Due to budget cuts, this character was later written out of The Young and the Restless. Francis returned to General Hospital, on February 11 2013 but was only with the show for five months. She came back on June 5, 2015, and in January 2018, Francis was dropped to recurring status.

In July of 2015, the actress signed a contract to become full-time on GH and in recent years, Laura married Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) and befriended Traci Quartermaine (Jane Alexander) who eventually married Luke who now is said to have died. Since becoming the mayor of Port Charles Laura has been shot and was at a house where a bomb exploded. She had to go into hiding with her half-brother Martin Grey (Michael E Knight) when they believed their other sibling Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) put a hit out on them. General Hospital viewers now know it was Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy).

When Genie Francis went on recurring status, her fans were so outraged that Frank Valentini made an announcement that Laura would soon return to Port Charles and he had big plans for the character. It was many months later before viewers realized that the executive producer did not lie. Laura is back and front and center trying to keep peace in Port Charles and within her family. Laura is a good influence on Spencer and his father Nikolas Cassadine (Marcus Columbo) and she is trying to limit the influence Victor has over her son and grandson. Genie Francis fans are hoping she will remain with General Hospital for a long time to come.