Genie Francis

Eugenie Ann Francis (born May 26, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Laura Spencer on the television soap opera General Hospital from 1977 to present, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2007.

Genie Francis
Francis in 2013
Born	Eugenie Ann Francis (1962-05-26) May 26, 1962 (age 60)^[1] Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–present
Spouse	Jonathan Frakes ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	2
Parent	Ivor Francis (father)
Website	geniefrancis.com

Francis also appeared in the soap operas Days of Our Lives from 1987 to 1989, All My Children from 1990 to 1992 and The Young and the Restless from 2011 to 2012.

Early life

Francis was born in Englewood, New Jersey.^[2] Her father was Canadian actor Ivor Francis.^[2] Her mother, Rosemary Daley, is a former actress/model^[3] of Lithuanian descent.^{[citation needed]} Genie has an older brother, Ivor Jr.; a younger brother, Kenneth; and an older half-sister, Shelley, from her father's first marriage.

Career

Francis began acting in the two part episode titled "Jury Duty" on the television series Family. Her biggest role came in 1977 with Laura Spencer on General Hospital as she was a recast. It would bring her instant stardom in the late 1970s. The television couple of Luke and Laura wed on November 17, 1981, with 30 million viewers tuning in to make the episode the highest-rated hour in soap opera history.^[4] At the peak of her success, Francis left the series in 1982 to try her hand at prime-time television. Soon afterward, she landed a starring role in her own series, Bare Essence, which was unsuccessful. She returned to General Hospital in 1983 for a limited run, to coincide with the departure of Luke when Anthony Geary decided to leave the series. Francis was also offered the lead role for the movie Splash but turned it down because she thought the script was silly.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984, 1987 and 1990, Francis guest starred on Murder, She Wrote as Jessica Fletcher's niece Victoria. In 1985, she starred in the miniseries North and South as Brett Main Hazard.^[5] Francis would reprise her role of Brett Main Hazard in 1986 and 1994 in the miniseries North and South: Book II and Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III respectively.^[6][7] In 1993, she starred in the television film Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss as Kris Buckner which was based on the CBS television series of the same name.^[8] In 1996, Francis provided the voice of Betty Ross on the Incredible Hulk animated series that ran on UPN.

Through the years, Francis has appeared on numerous other daytime soaps. She starred on Days of Our Lives as Diana Colville (a reporter who became involved with John Black, at the time believing himself to be Roman Brady) 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 a crossover storyline in November 1991. Ceara was "killed off" when her character prepared to move to that soap's town of Corinth (although it was an unseen extra stepping off the bus into the line of fire), and years later, Laura also appeared in Corinth on General Hospital when ex-husband Luke found her tied up in the Alden family basement. She then returned to General Hospital in 1993. In 1994, when Francis became pregnant with her first child, the pregnancy was written into the show and she took six weeks off for maternity leave. However, in early 1997, when she was pregnant again, she took a much longer absence from the show, staying away for nearly a year and a half. Francis abruptly left General Hospital in 2002 due to contract issues.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Francis appeared in Teacher's Pet^[9] and Thunderbirds.^[10] In June 2006, she began negotiating with the casting directors on the show to return to the role of Laura Spencer for a limited run through November. Francis returned with spectacular fanfare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Luke and Laura's wedding. Though she reprised the role for only one month, Francis' stint garnered her a Daytime Emmy Nomination^[11] for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, which she won in June 2007.^[12] Francis returned to General Hospital in August 2008 to reprise her role, appearing until November 12. In December 2008, she had a starring role in the Hallmark Channel movie, The Note, which earned her critical acclaim. On January 31, 2009, Francis reprised her role of Peyton MacGruder in the Hallmark Channel movie, Taking a Chance on Love. In 2012, she again reprised her role as Peyton MacGruder in the Hallmark Channel movie Notes from the Heart Healer.^[13]

In March 2011, it was announced that Francis would join The Young and the Restless as Genevieve Atkinson, the long-absent birth mother of Cane Ashby. With her appearance, she was reunited with former General Hospital co-star Tristan Rogers, who portrayed Colin Atkinson, Cane's estranged biological father. She received her second Daytime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Genevieve in May 2012.^[14]

On September 13, 2012, it was announced that Francis had been let go from her role on The Young and the Restless due to budget cuts.^[15] On January 8, 2013, executive producer Frank Valentini and Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Francis would return to General Hospital, first airing on February 11. However, she remained with the series for only five months, as Laura departed for medical treatment in France, returning on June 5, 2015, as part of a storyline to help facilitate Anthony Geary's departure from the show and would later sign a contract to remain with the show.^[16] In January 2018, Francis was dropped to recurring status^[17] and in late July 2018 signed a contract to return to General Hospital full-time.^[18][19][20]

Other projects

Francis owned a store called The Cherished Home.^[21] It was located at 31 Searsport Avenue, Belfast, Maine 04915, and they also sold items online. The store sold cottage furnishings and home accessories. Francis sold the store in August 2012, due to her workload on The Young and the Restless. The store closed in the fall of 2012.

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

In November 2009, Francis along with her brothers, Ivor Jr. and Kenneth released It's Christmas Time Again.^[22] They decided to donate a part of all record sales to the Sisters of Saint Francis Children's Mission in Cuernavaca, a mission founded by her cousin Sister Margaret.^[23] Francis decided to donate all of her proceeds/sales to this mission. This endeavor was a project involving various members of her family.

Personal life

Francis first met actor/director Jonathan Frakes in 1982 while filming the television miniseries Bare Essence. After meeting again in 1984 during the filming of the miniseries North and South, Francis and Frakes began dating in 1985. They became engaged the following year, and were married on May 28, 1988. The couple has two children, Jameson Ivor Frakes and Elizabeth Frances Frakes. After residing in Belfast, Maine, they moved to Beverly Hills, California, in 2008 and later relocated to Calabasas, California.^[24]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004	Teacher's Pet	Marsha/Marcia	Animated musical-comedy film based on the television series of the same name directed by Timothy Björklund.^[9] Credited as Genie Ann Francis.
	Thunderbirds	Lisa Lowe	Science fiction-comedy-action-adventure film^[25] based on the 1960s television series of the same name and directed by Jonathan Frakes.^[10]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Family	Alice Dennison	Episodes: "Jury Duty: Part 1" (S 2:Ep 11 "Jury Duty: Part 2" (S 2:Ep12)
1977–84, 1993–2002, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015–	General Hospital	Laura Spencer	Contract role: 1977–1982, 1993–2002, 2013, 2015– Recurring role: 1983, 1984, 2006, 2008
1981	Fridays	Herself/Co-Host	Episode: "Episode #3.3" (S 3:Ep 3) Special guest appearance with Anthony Geary
1982	Fantasy Island	Christa Ackland	Episode: "Daddy's Little Girl / The Whistle" (S 5:Ep 14)
1982–83	Bare Essence	Patricia 'Tyger' Hayes	Contract role
1984	Murder, She Wrote	Victoria	Episode: "Birds of a Feather" (S 1:Ep 4)
	Hotel	Jenny Bernard	Episode: "Outsiders"(S 2:Ep 5)
1985	North and South	Brett Main Hazard	Miniseries developed by Douglas Heyes.^[5] Based on the novel North and South^1 by John Jakes.^[26]
	Glitter	Guest	Episode: "The Matriarch" (S 1:Ep 10)
1986	North and South: Book II	Brett Main Hazard	Miniseries developed by Douglas Heyes.^[6] Based on the novel Love and War by John Jakes.^[27]
	Murder, She Wrote	Victoria	Episode: "Corned Beef and Carnage" (S 3:Ep 5)
1987	The New Mike Hammer	Susan Timmons	Episode: "Body Shot" (S 3:Ep 13)
	Hotel	Melinda Jenkins	Episode: "Barriers" (S 4:Ep 18)
1987–89	Days of Our Lives	Diana Colville	Contract role
1990	Murder, She Wrote	Victoria	Episode: "The Fixer-Upper" (S 6:Ep 15)
1990–92	All My Children	Ceara Connor Hunter	Contract role: June 27, 1990, to July 1992
1991	Loving		Recurring role: October 31, 1991, to December 5, 1991
1993	Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss	Kris Buckner	Made-for-TV movie directed by Christian I. Nyby II.^[8] Based on the CBS television series of the same name.
1994	Roseanne	Laura Spencer	Episode: "Suck Up or Shut Up" (S6 : Ep 13)
	Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III	Brett Main Hazard	Miniseries directed by Larry Peerce.^[7] Based on the novel Heaven and Hell^2^[28] by John Jakes.
1995	Terror in the Shadows	Sarah	Made-for-TV movie directed by William A. Graham.^[29]
	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman	Amber Lake	Episode: "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape" (S 3:Ep 6)
1996	The Incredible Hulk	Betty Ross	Recurring
		Sister Rose Erak	Episode: "Innocent Blood" (S 1:Ep 50
2000	3rd Rock from the Sun	Gwen McMichael	Episode: "Gwen, Larry, Dick & Mary" (S 5:Ep 10)
2000	Oh, Baby	Rachel	Episode: "Image" (S 2:Ep 21)
	Roswell	Mother	Episode: "Destiny" (S 1:Ep 22)
2007	The Note	Peyton MacGruder	Made-for-TV movie directed by Douglas Barr.
2009	Taking a Chance on Love		Made-for-TV movie written and directed by Douglas Barr.
2011	Bar Karma	Waitress	Episode: "Three Times a Lady" (S 1:Ep 9)
2011–12	Pretty the Series	Dr. Kate	Recurring
	The Young and the Restless	Genevieve Atkinson	Contract role
2012	Notes from the Heart Healer^[13]	Peyton MacGruder	Made-for-TV movie written and directed by Douglas Barr.

Videos

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Luke and Laura, Vol. 1: Lovers on the Run^[30]	Host/Laura Spencer	Directed by David Seeger.
1995	Luke and Laura Vol. 2: Greatest Love of All^[31]

Awards and nominations

List of acting awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Ref.
1979	Young Artist Award	Best Juvenile Actress in a Daytime Series	General Hospital	Nominated	^[32]
1980	Soapy Awards	Outstanding Actress		Nominated	^[citation needed]
	Young Artist Award	Best Juvenile Actress in a Daytime Series		Won	^[33]
1981	Soapy Awards	Outstanding Actress		Won	^[citation needed]
1982	Young Artist Award	Best Juvenile Actress in a Daytime Series		Nominated	^[34]
1997	Soap Opera Digest Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama		Nominated	^[citation needed]
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series		Nominated	^[35]
2002		America's Favorite Couple - (shared with Anthony Geary)		Nominated	^[citation needed]
2007		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series		Won	^[11]^[12]
2012			The Young and the Restless	Nominated	^[14]
2021		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series	General Hospital	Nominated	^[36]

References

Notes

1. ^ Originally published by Signet in 1982.^[37]
2. ^ Originally published Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1987 with the ISBN 978-0151310753.^[38]

Citations

1. https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/05/26/Famous-birthdays-for-May-26-Bobcat-Goldthwait-Lenny-Kravitz/7001653489276/
2. Alexander, Rodi (November 28, 2007). . The Independent. East Hampton. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
3. Rein, Birnbaum & Lardine 1980, Vol. 14, issue 17.
4. Lang, Derrik J. (July 11, 2008). . Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2008-07-16.
5. "North and South". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
6. "North and South: Book II". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
7. "Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
8. "Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
9. "Teacher's Pet". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved September 27, 2016.
10. "Thunderbirds". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
11. Bonawitz, Amy (February 11, 2009). . CBS News. New York City: CBS. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
12. . PopSugar. San Francisco: PopSugar Entertainment. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
13. "Notes from the Heart Healer". The Futon Critic. United States: Futon Media. February 21, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
14. . Daytime Emmy Award. New York City: National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. May 9, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
15. Lynette Rice (September 14, 2012). "Genie Francis out of 'Young and the Restless'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
16. "Genie Francis returns to 'General Hospital' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Lynette Rice. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
17. Giddens, Jamey (January 19, 2018). "Genie Francis Bumped to Recurring at General Hospital". Daytime Confidential. United States: Confidential Media, Inc. (SAY Media). Retrieved August 3, 2018.
18. Rice, Lynette (July 31, 2018). "General Hospital brings back Genie Francis". Entertainment Weekly. United States: Time Inc. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
19. Evans, Greg (July 31, 2018). "Genie Francis Set For Return To ABC's 'General Hospital'". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
20. Maloney, Michael (July 31, 2018). "Laura Returns! Genie Francis Is Checking Back Into General Hospital". TV Insider. United States: TVGM Holdings, LLC. from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
21. Shanahan, Mark (September 28, 2006). "A home-furnishings store is Maine event for Genie Francis". The Boston Globe. Boston: Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
22. Kroll, Dan J. (January 5, 2010). "GH interested in having Genie Francis return". SoapCentral. United States: Dan J Kroll. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
23. "Genie Francis CD". Sisters of St. Francis. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
24. McFly, Marty (August 15, 2013). "Celeb R.E.: Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek and Genie Francis From General Hospital Move to Woodland Hills". San Fernando Valley Blogspot. Blogger. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
25. Puig, Claudia (29 July 2004). "Fantasy propels Thunderbirds". USA Today. Gannett Company. from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
26. Jakes, John (2000). North and South. New York City: Signet. ISBN 978-0451200815.
27. Jakes, John (1984). Love and War. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ASIN B000CBVLXC.
28. Jakes, John (2000). Heaven and Hell. New York City: Signet. ISBN 978-0451200839.
29. "Terror in the Shadows". Turner Classic Movies. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
30. General Hospital: Luke & Laura (Lovers on the Run) Vol. 1. Burbank, California: ABC Studios. February 2, 1994. ASIN 6303007759.
31. Luke & Laura Vol.2: The Greatest Love of All, Burbank, California: Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., 1995, ASIN 6303267769
32. . Young Artist Award. United States: Young Artist Association. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
33. . Young Artist Award. United States: Young Artist Association. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
34. "3rd Youth In Film Awards". Young Artist Award. United States: Young Artist Association. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
35. . Soap Opera Digest. New York City. American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
36. "2021 Daytime Emmy Awards: Talk Show Host and Lead Actress Nominees Revealed (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Interactive. May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
37. Jakes, John (1982). North and South. New York City: Signet. ASIN B00CID411Q.
38. Jakes, John (1987). Heaven and Hell. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. ISBN 978-0151310753.

Sources

• Rein, Richard K; Birnbaum, Gail; Lardine, Bob (October 27, 1980). "The Soaps' New Teenage Temptresses Boost Ratings and Help Lure A Younger Audience". People. United States: Time Inc. 14 (17). Retrieved September 29, 2016.

External links

• Genie Francis at IMDb
• Genie Francis on Twitter  
• Genie Francis Discusses Her Christmas CD 2009-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
• Genie Francis to Guest Star in Web Series
• Genie Francis at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television