Genie Francis

Actress


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

Actress Genie Francis was interviewed for two hours in Beverly Hills, CA, consisting of two parts: one-half hour with General Hospital co-star Anthony Geary, and one-and-a-half hours alone. Francis talked about her father actor Ivor Francis and how he taught her respect for the craft of acting. She talked about her work in her first role in television as a guest actor on Family.  She described the role for which she is most known, "Laura Vining Spencer" on General Hospital.  She spoke frankly about the circumstances of her leaving and returning to play "Laura" several times over the years, including her month-long 2006 appearance that led her to a daytime Emmy Award nomination (and eventual win) as Best Supporting Actress.  She described "Laura" and related a number of the storylines she was featured in over the span of three decades playing the role.  She talked about her first on-screen and real-life kiss with Kin Shriner's "Scotty," her work with Anthony Geary who played "Luke," and her impressions of Jonathan Jackson who played her son "Lucky" in the 1990s. She talked about her work as an actress outside of General Hospital in the theater and on television in such projects as the television movie (and later series) Bare Essence and the miniseries North and South.  She also spoke about her late 80s work on Days of Our Lives, as "Diana Colville," a character that she felt was ill-defined and her early 1990s work on All My Children, as "Ceara Connor," that she found to be a much more well-defined part.  In their joint interview, Francis and Anthony Geary spoke about acting together as "Luke and Laura" and the fan reaction to their appearance at ABC's Super Soap Weekend in 2006.  The interview was conducted by Beth Cochran (Francis alone) and Barrie Nedler (Francis and Geary) on June 14, 2007.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"It's fun to do a soap because there's always a tomorrow, and because you get to grow with a character over the years." 

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Genie Francis on joining the cast General Hospital; on her character Laura; on some of the storylines
13:51
Genie Francis on taping her first on-screen kiss (with Kin Shriner) on General Hospital
00:26
Genie Francis on the evolution of the Luke and Laura storylines on General Hospital
10:22
Genie Francis on joining the cast of All My Children in 1990
04:24
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her early years and desire to become an actress
On joining the cast of General Hospital; on her character Laura; on some of the key storylines
On the evolution of the Luke and Laura storylines on General Hospital

Chapter 2

On leaving General Hospital 
On her acting process
On starring in the TV movie and then short-lived series Bare Essence  (where she met future-husband Jonathan Frakes)
On returning to General Hospital in 1993 and the storylines Laura was in
On her theater work; on the miniseries North and South
On joining the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1987
On joining the cast of All My Children in 1990

Chapter 3

On being forced to leave All My Children to make way for her return to General Hospital
On returning to General Hospital and some of the new storylines she had; on appearing on Roseanne
On her work after leaving General Hospital; on her return to the series in 2006

Chapter 4

On her theatre work; on current projects; on daytime television and her Emmy nominations; how she would like to be remembered
Shows

All My Children

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Genie Francis on joining the cast of All My Children in 1990
04:24
Genie Francis on being forced to leave All My Children to make way for her return to General Hospital
01:54

Bare Essence

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Genie Francis on starring in the TV movie and then short-lived series Bare Essence
04:04

Days of Our Lives

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Genie Francis on joining the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1987
07:27

Family

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Genie Francis on her first professional acting job -- a guest role on Family
00:44

General Hospital

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Genie Francis on joining the cast General Hospital; on her character Laura; on some of the storylines
13:51
Genie Francis on taping her first on-screen kiss (with Kin Shriner) on General Hospital
00:26
Genie Francis on the evolution of the Luke and Laura storylines on General Hospital
10:22
Genie Francis on leaving General Hospital
03:07
Genie Francis on being forced to leave All My Children to make way for her return to General Hospital
01:54
Genie Francis on returning to General Hospital and some of the new storylines she had; on leaving the series in 2002
14:55
Genie Francis on her work after leaving General Hospital; on her return to the series in 2006
09:43

North and South

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Genie Francis on appearing in the miniseries North and South
03:45

Roseanne

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Genie Francis briefly on her and Anthony Geary's guest appearance on Roseanne
01:14
Professions

Actress

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Genie Francis on being an adolescent TV performer
01:19
Genres

Daytime/Primetime Serials

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Genie Francis on taping her first on-screen kiss (with Kin Shriner) on General Hospital
00:26
People

Denise Alexander

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Genie Francis on working with General Hospital co-star Denise Alexander
00:51

Kirstie Alley

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Genie Francis on appearing in the miniseries North and South
03:45

Jonathan Frakes

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Genie Francis on starring in the TV movie and then short-lived series Bare Essence
04:04
Genie Francis on appearing in the miniseries North and South
03:45

Ivor Francis

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Genie Francis on her early years and desire to become an actress
03:10

Anthony Geary

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Genie Francis on the evolution of the Luke and Laura storylines on General Hospital
10:22

Douglas Marland

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Genie Francis on some of the General Hospital storylines created by Douglas Marland
02:51

Gloria Monty

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Genie Francis on working with General Hospital producer Gloria Monty
01:37

Tristan Rogers

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Genie Francis on the evolution of the Luke and Laura storylines on General Hospital

Kin Shriner

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Genie Francis on working with General Hospital co-star Kin Shriner
00:42
Genie Francis on taping her first on-screen kiss (with Kin Shriner) on General Hospital
00:26

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