"I almost did Salvador with Oliver Stone, until he hired me and found out I was 'Luke Spencer,' and pulled back his offer. It was hurtful at the time, but I understand that if you're doing a big film, for the five seconds or less that someone goes, 'Isn't that that guy on General Hospital?' -- they're out of the movie. You want to take them into a movie and you want them to stay there. So a face or a voice, after all this time on TV, can be a negative to a film. Lucky for me, I don't enjoy doing film that much. Otherwise, it would have been devastating."

    About This Interview

    In the two-hour solo portion of his interview, Anthony Geary describes his early interest in movies and his acting ambitions. He talks about his move to Los Angeles, appearing with Jack Albertson in The Subject Was Roses on stage. He describes his work in two soap operas, Bright Promise and The Young and the Restless. He mentions his primetime appearances in the 1970s on such series as All in the Family and The Streets of San Francisco (in particular one Streets episode on which he played a heroin addict). He speaks about his approach to acting and how he learned the craft. He recounts his casting in his most well-known role, as "Luke Spencer" on the daytime serial General Hospital and his work with ingénue Genie Francis, who played "Laura." Geary gives his impressions of producer Gloria Monty and credits her with changing the face of soap operas. He talks about Monty's unconventional approach to producing General Hospital and cites as an example Monty's decision to shoot a scene between Genie Francis and him entirely improvised: a nine-minute sequence that led to his first Emmy award win. He looks back on the character of "Luke," how he was originally conceived, and his backstory. Throughout the interview, Geary discusses frankly his continuous struggle to keep the integrity of his character and avoid the pitfalls of clichéd writing. He talks about General Hospital storylines, working with his fellow actors, and fan reaction to "Luke." He speaks about playing a different character (a cousin of "Luke") in the early 1990s on General Hospital and how that character was killed off, dying in the arms of "Luke Spencer," thereby completing the transition for another return of Geary as "Luke." He fondly recalls meeting screen idol Bette Davis and the thrill it was to hear her say that she knew his work.

    In the half-hour joint portion of their interview, Anthony Geary and Genie Francis discuss acting together as "Luke" and "Laura" on General Hospital. They also talk about the fan reaction to their appearance at ABC's Super Soap Weekend in 2006. Barrie Nedler conducted the interviews on June 14, 2007 in Beverly Hills, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Anthony Geary

    Anthony Geary on the various roles he played in Streets of San Francisco

    00:31
    Thumbnail of Anthony Geary

    Anthony Geary on joining the cast of General Hospital

    05:00
    Thumbnail of Anthony Geary

    Anthony Geary on some of his best-known storylines on General Hospital; on leaving the series in 1982, and returning in 1991

    10:21
    Thumbnail of Anthony Geary

    Anthony Geary on winning a Daytime Emmy Award

    03:25
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early years and the development of his interest in theatre

    05:57

    On his first television roles on All in the Family, Bright Promise, The Young and the Restless, and The Streets of San Francisco

    13:57

    On his theatrical training

    03:43

    On joining the cast of General Hospital

    05:00

    Chapter 2

    On his General Hospital character "Luke Spencer"

    19:52

    On the evolution of General Hospital's Luke and Laura "rape" storyline

    10:08

    Chapter 3

    On his General Hospital co-stars Jacklyn Zehman, Norma Connolly, and Kin Shriner

    04:43

    On some of his best-known storylines on General Hospital; on leaving the series in 1982, and returning in 1991

    10:21

    On the Daytime Emmy Awards

    03:25

    On the work environment at General Hospital; on Luke's love interests; on returning to the series in 1991; on the addition of Jonathan Jackson ("Lucky") to the cast

    10:30

    Chapter 4

    On some of his other projects (radio, theatre, made-for-TV movies) he has done; on his celebrity; on his advice to aspiring actors; on how he'd like to be remembered

    18:37

    Chapter 5

    START OF JOINT INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY GEARY AND GENIE FRANCIS: Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their working relationship on General Hospital

    03:26

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the beginning of the "Luke and Laura" storyline phenomenon on General Hospital

    06:13

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their favorite storylines on General Hospital

    02:04

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the wedding of "Luke and Laura" on General Hospital

    05:23

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their favorite General Hospital storylines and their final thoughts on working together

    03:30

    All in the Family

    Anthony Geary on his guest role in the All in the Family episode "Judging Books by Covers" (airdate: January 12, 1971)

    02:17

    Bright Promise

    Anthony Geary on his role in the soap Bright Promise

    05:14

    Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

    Anthony Geary on winning a Daytime Emmy

    03:25

    General Hospital

    Anthony Geary his General Hospital co-stars Jacklyn Zehman, Norma Connolly, and Kin Shriner

    04:43

    Anthony Geary on some of his best-known storylines on General Hospital; on leaving the series in 1982, and returning in 1991

    10:21

    Anthony Geary on winning a Daytime Emmy Award

    03:25

    On the work environment at General Hospital; on Luke's love interests; on returning to the series in 1991; on the addition of Jonathan Jackson ("Lucky") to the cast

    10:30

    Anthony Geary on joining the cast of General Hospital

    05:00

    Anthony Geary on his General Hospital character "Luke Spencer"

    19:52

    Anthony Geary on the evolution of General Hospital's Luke and Laura "rape" storyline

    10:08

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their working relationship on General Hospital

    03:04

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the beginning of the "Luke and Laura" storyline phenomenon on General Hospital

    06:13

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their favorite storylines on General Hospital

    02:04

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the wedding of "Luke and Laura" on General Hospital

    05:23

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the fan reactions to their General Hospital characters

    02:54

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the remarriage of "Luke and Laura" for their 25th anniversary on General Hospital

    00:48

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on their favorite General Hospital storylines and their final thoughts on working together

    03:30

    Streets of San Francisco, The

    Anthony Geary on the various roles he played in Streets of San Francisco

    00:31

    Young and the Restless, The

    Anthony Geary on early his role in The Young and the Restless

    03:55

    Characters & Catchphrases

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the beginning of the "Luke and Laura" storyline phenomenon on General Hospital

    06:13

    Fame and Celebrity

    Actor Anthony Geary on his celebrity during the time of the "Luke and Laura" craze on General Hospital

    04:17

    We Celebrated

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the wedding of "Luke and Laura" on General Hospital

    05:23

    Actor

    Anthony Geary on his theatrical training

    03:43

    Anthony Geary on his advice to aspiring actors

    01:02

    Daytime/Primetime Serials

    Actor Anthony Geary on his celebrity during the time of the "Luke and Laura" craze on General Hospital

    04:17

    Anthony Geary on the evolution of General Hospital's Luke and Laura "rape" storyline

    10:08

    Anthony Geary on the future of the daytime serial

    02:38

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the wedding of "Luke and Laura" on General Hospital

    05:23

    Norma Connolly

    Anthony Geary his General Hospital co-stars Jacklyn Zehman, Norma Connolly, and Kin Shriner

    04:43

    Ivor Francis

    Anthony Geary on his role in the soap Bright Promise

    05:14

    Genie Francis

    Anthony Geary on the evolution of General Hospital's Luke and Laura "rape" storyline

    10:08

    Douglas Marland

    Anthony Geary on joining the cast of General Hospital

    05:00

    Quinn Martin

    Anthony Geary on the various roles he played in Streets of San Francisco

    00:31

    Gloria Monty

    Anthony Geary on his role in the soap Bright Promise

    05:14

    Anthony Geary on joining the cast of General Hospital

    05:00

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the beginning of the "Luke and Laura" storyline phenomenon on General Hospital

    06:13

    Emma Samms

    On the work environment at General Hospital; on Luke's love interests; on returning to the series in 1991; on the addition of Jonathan Jackson ("Lucky") to the cast

    10:30

    Kin Shriner

    Anthony Geary his General Hospital co-stars Jacklyn Zehman, Norma Connolly, and Kin Shriner

    04:43

    Elizabeth Taylor

    Anthony Geary and Genie Francis on the wedding of "Luke and Laura" on General Hospital

    05:23

    Jacklyn Zeman

    Anthony Geary his General Hospital co-stars Jacklyn Zehman, Norma Connolly, and Kin Shriner

    04:43

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