Genie Francis

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Genie Francis

Born Eugenie Ann Francis
May 26, 1962 (1962-05-26) (age 46)
Englewood, NJ, United States
Spouse(s) Jonathan Frakes (1988–Present)

Genie Francis (born Eugenie Ann Francis on May 26, 1962 in Englewood, New Jersey[1], USA) is an actress best known for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital, a role she played from 1976 to 2002, and then again, briefly in 2006.

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[edit] Personal life

Francis's father, Ivor Francis, a Canadian actor of English descent, died in 1986 from the effects of multiple strokes. He played a brief role on General Hospital as an adoption counselor when his daughter was also on the show. Her mother, Rosemary Daley, is a former actress/model of Lithuanian descent. Genie is a confirmed Catholic. She has an older brother Ivor Jr., a younger brother Kenneth, and an older half-sister Shelley from her father's first marriage.

Genie met actor/director Jonathan Frakes while filming the television show, Bare Essence. After meeting again during the filming of the miniseries, North and South, Genie and Jonathan started dating in 1985. They became engaged in 1986, and married on May 28, 1988. The couple has two children, Jameson Ivor Frakes, born in 1994, and Elizabeth Francis Frakes, born in 1997. They live in Belfast, Maine, where Genie operates a cottage furnishings and home accessories store, The Cherished Home, in an antique house overlooking the sea[1].

[edit] General Hospital

Genie's most famous role, that of Laura Spencer on General Hospital, would bring her instant stardom in the late 70's. Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura became an international phenomenon and the most popular super couple in daytime history, appearing on the covers of TV Guide, Us Weekly, and People magazines. The television couple wed on November 16, 1981, with 30 million viewers tuning in to make this episode the highest-rated hour in soap opera history. At the peak of her success, Francis left the show in 1982 to try her hand at primetime television. Soon after, she landed a starring role in her own series, Bare Essence, which was not a success. Nevertheless, she remained a fan favorite and viewers were delighted when she returned to General Hospital in 1983 for a limited run to coincide with the departure of Luke when Geary decided to leave the series.

Through the years, other daytime soaps have pursued Francis because of her tremendous popularity. She appeared on Days of Our Lives as Diana Colville from 1987 to 1989 and on All My Children as con artist and incest victim Ceara Connor Hunter from 1990 to 1992. She reprised her role as Ceara on Loving in November 1991. She then returned to GH in 1993. In early 1997 she took an absence from the show to have her second child and stayed away nearly a year and a half.

In September 2002 she abruptly left General Hospital following ABC's refusal to work out a contract she wanted. In 2004 she told USA Today that she thought ABC wanted her out after a 2001 interview where she admitted to heavy drug abuse during the Luke & Laura early '80s heyday.

In June 2006, Francis began negotiating with the casting directors on the show in returning to the role of Laura Spencer for a limited run through November. She returned to the show with great fanfare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Luke and Laura's wedding. The magic of Luke and Laura was recaptured, and the reunion garnered the show more publicity than it had seen in years. Though she reprised the role for only one month, Francis's stint was so successful that she garnered a Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama, which she ended up winning in June 2007. "Oh my goodness!" she said. "Thank you so much. I am overwhelmed. I've waited 31 years for this moment."

In December 2007, Francis had a starring role in the Hallmark Channel movie, "The Note," which earned her critical acclaim.

[edit] Commercial endorsements

In May 2007, Francis began appearing in magazine advertisements as a spokeperson for the Medifast Diet, claiming she lost 30 pounds as of December 2007 using the diet.

[edit] Television filmography

[edit] Awards (won)

[edit] Awards (nominated)

-Shared with Anthony Geary

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Alexander, Rodi. "Genie Francis Returns To The Tube in 'The Note'", East Hampton: The Independent, November 28, 2007. "Genie's first break into show business came about when her father Ivor (who was a renowned stage actor) decided he wanted to be a film actor. He packed up the family, left Englewood, N.J. and headed to California." 

[edit] External links

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