Michael Fairman’s On Air:
GH’s Jon Lindstrom Talks On
Working With Genie Francis In
The Kevin & Laura Romance
August 23, 2016
On General Hospital it has been rumored for a long time that soap
icon Genie Francis (Laura) would have a new love interest after years
of being in a romantic entanglement with Luke Spencer (Tony Geary)
or Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner). Whatever leading man would be Genie’s
next on-screen flame would follow in the footsteps of those iconic
pairings. Enter GH stalwart Jon Lindstrom, who for decades has been
on and off the long-running daytime drama series as Dr. Kevin Collins.
Since Kevin and Laura have found themselves in a set of circumstances
that has brought them close together and a first date was at hand, many
fans have begun to give their stamp of approval for this most unlikely,
but sweet and genuine pairing. On-Air On-Soaps recently got a few
comments from Lindstrom during GHFCW on what he thought of his new
leading lady, being back at GH with more story, and the latest on his real
life wife, soap favorite Cady McClain directorial efforts.
Lindstrom expressed joy at being back at GH, and the exploits of the
Cassadine Island adventure: “I always enjoy coming back … what’s not to like?
I got shot, I’m working with Genie Francis, and I traveled half the world and
back already. (Laughs) I love coming back to GH. I have so many friends there
and the crew. So, it’s always like a party to me when I return to the show. e so
many friends there and the crew. So, it’s always like a party to me when I return
to the show.” Read More.
'General Hospital'
Fan Recap:
The Magic Of Laura
by Karen Belgrad, EW Community Contributor @karenb0716
Aug 21, 2016 | 12:15PM
Season 54 | Episodes 94–98| Aired Aug 15–19, 2016
When the powers that be at General Hospital hired Genie Francis in
1976 (she’d first air in 1977) for the role of Laura, do you think they
knew the pure magic that was before them? Just think of the range
of believable emotions portrayed by her this week: grief, fury,
confidence, confusion, and giddiness.
Charting Laura’s week involves a multitude of events, starting with
Tracy and Laura waiting side by side at GH to find out if the bracelet
Lulu found contained Luke’s DNA. It doesn’t, and viewers are treated
to two adult women having an intelligent conversation. Since they
know it wasn’t Luke’s corpse, but haven’t heard from Luke, Tracy
expects Laura to run off and search the globe for her wayward
ex-husband. But Laura is past her years of being defined as a childlike
damsel in distress, now she’s defining herself. Most importantly, Laura
asserts that she will no longer drop everything to run after Luke. Laura
points out that if Tracy still loves Luke, she should be the one to look
for him. Tracy leaves Luke a voicemail pleading for information as to his
whereabouts. Read More.
General Hospital's Genie Francis Discusses Depression Prior To Weight Loss
by Kristyn Burtt/SheKnows.com
January 11, 2016
Genie Francis answers tough questions about her past with depression and pressures to lose weight
When you're in the public eye, it can be difficult to go through any personal issue with everyone watching. For General Hospital's Genie Francis, she wasn't feeling like herself after she gained weight and she knew it was time for a change.
In this exclusive interview with SheKnows, the daytime star shares her emotional state when she was out of shape.
"I was miserable. I was really, really unhappy being that much overweight. I was tired, I didn't want to go out," she reveals. "When you get that much out of shape, there's just a hopelessness that sets in. It's awful, it's just awful."
To get out of that place of despair, Francis admits that it takes, "a lot of support and faith to put one foot in front of the other to take that journey back again."
The pressure from Hollywood to stay in shape is also constantly present, so the actress decided to join Nutrisystem to help guide her on the path to healthy eating. The plan allows her to be "more at peace with food."
"It's really hard. It's harder the second time when you've been up that high [in weight] and you lost it once," she says. "And then you do it again. It's much harder the second time to get yourself going."
While the diet got her back on track physically, Francis worked on the emotional part of loving herself.
"It's very depressing and you blame yourself thinking, oh, I did it again," she says. "It's very hard to forgive ourselves. I have a harder time forgiving myself than anyone else."
Image: Nutrisystem
After starting Nutrisystem in August 2014, Francis initially lost 30 pounds, which she revealed in January 2015. She has since lost an additional 10 pounds on the program. The GH star is now reaping the inner and outer benefits of her fit physique.
"The outside changes are nice, you notice it, but the inside ones are the ones you are feel all of the time. I'm not so tired. I am not so depressed. I start to get interested in my own life again and want to go do things, think about working again, s"he explains.
The transformation has allowed her to do more for herself on a daily basis.
"I feel more like socializing and going out," Francis says. "I go shopping not to cover myself, but pick something that I like. It's a completely different way of living life than when you are overweight."
Even though soap veteran went through a dark time, she also has a sense of humor about how far she's come.
"You can never hide that you are overweight, any other kind of problem you can probably hide so that people will look at you and never know," she laughs. "But when you're overweight, everyone knows."
Genie Francis On Her Three-Year Deal With General Hospital: 'A Feeling Like I've Come Home'
Michael Logan November 4, 2015 10:30 am
General Hospital hasn’t shown all that much interest in Genie Francis in recent years. Oh, they trotted her out for the soap’s 50th anniversary in 2013, and again last summer when her longtime screen partner Anthony Geary left the show. Since then, she’s only been seen sporadically, mostly because her iconic character, Laura, is one of the few in town who are privy to the big “Jake is Jason” secret. For fans of the luminous actress—and we are legion—it’s never enough! But here’s great news: The Emmy-winning Francis just made a deal with ABC that’ll keep her in Port Charles through 2018.
It’s about time! How are we feeling about this contract?
The visits have been nice but this gives me a really warm, cozy feeling—a feeling like I’ve come home. A three-year deal is a very big commitment from ABC these days. It’s too soon to know what stories they have planned for Laura—the who-what-where—but I know they really want to write for me and that’s exciting. [Laughs] They finally took me back!
TVLine: GH's Genie Francis on Luke and Laura's Final Adventure: 'It's a Crowd-Pleaser'
By Kimberly Roots / June 18 2015, 7:00 AM PDT
Strip away the fit-for-royalty wedding… and the kidnappings… and the catatonia… and General Hospital‘s Luke and Laura are basically just your average, run-of-the-mill former couple forever united in their love for their kids.
After all, it’s not their fault they once had to subvert a catastrophic weather event by gaining control of a giant gemstone, is it?
“The relationship has always been realistic,” Genie Francis tells TVLine, chuckling, “and the circumstances have always been absurd.” Read more.
In 1981, more Americans watched Luke and Laura’s wedding on General Hospital than Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s televised nuptials. The daytime soap opera was a cultural phenomenon, and the headstrong Laura, played by Genie Francis, was the role model for millions of young women.
Laura was initially a supporting character. “When I was a little kid and started playing the role, all I did was be myself in that situation because that’s as much as I knew about acting when I was fourteen years old,” Francis recalls. General Hospital was on the verge of being canceled when the soap’s producer decided to center the show around Laura in the hope of attracting young viewers. Laura’s attraction to the character of Luke, an older disco owner with connections to organized crime, was supposed to be a temporary obstacle to her romance with good guy Scotty. The writers changed her storyline after they noticed Francis’s great chemistry with Luke’s portrayer Tony Geary. People who had never watched soaps before were enthralled by Luke and Laura’s action-packed love story. General Hospital soon rose to number one in the Nielsen ratings.
Francis and Geary left the show in 1983 at the height of their popularity, returning a decade later to much fanfare. Although Francis had departed in 2002 to focus on raising her two children and Geary recently announced that he's retiring, Francis has returned to General Hospital to tell the final chapter of Luke and Laura’s story. She spoke to Bio about the iconic couple’s farewell and how playing Laura has shaped her life. Read more.
THE WRAP: Genie Francis on ‘General Hospital’ Return, Jonathan Jackson and Off-Screen Relationship With Anthony Geary
By Tim Kenneally/ June 16, 2015
Laura Spencer is back in Port Charlies and in a big way.
Genie Francis, who’s played Laura Spencer on “General Hospital” on and off for the better part of four decades, returned to the ABC soap opera this month with a vengeance. Besides from breaking up the engagement party of her former beau Luke (Anthony Geary) and his fiancee Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliott), she’s also contending with the kidnapping of her son Lucky (Jonathan Jackson).
With Geary preparing to exit “General Hospital,” TheWrap spoke with Francis about her return to the series, what storylines she’d like to see and press reports that she and Geary have a less-than-ideal relationship. Read more.
Soaps.com Interview: GH’s Genie Francis talks return, Geary exit,
Lucky search
By Hollie Deese / Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
Every time Genie Francis returns to "General Hospital" to play the legendary Laura Spencer, it seems all is right again in Port Charles. But none of her returns over the years have been as poignant as her recent arrival to help usher out her longtime costar and super couple counterpart as Anthony Geary leaves General Hospital as Luke Spencer after 37 years.
Francis took the time to speak with Soaps.com about her first-ever scenes with Geary as a teenager in the hospital coffee shop, their still-controversial rape storyline, and what her future on the show might be. Read more.
bio: Genie Francis Returns to “General Hospital” for Luke & Laura’s Final Adventure
Francis spoke to Bio about the iconic couple's final farewell and how playing Laura has shaped her life.
By Sara Bibel Jun 22, 2015
