Genie Francis American actress Date of Birth: 26.05.1962 Country: USA

1. Biography of Genie Francis
2. Early Life and Family
3. Personal Life and Career
4. Breakthrough Role and Career Success
5. Return and Other Projects
6. Advertising Campaign

Biography of Genie Francis

Genie Francis is an American actress, best known for her role as Laura Spencer in the soap opera "General Hospital." She played the character from 1976 to 2002, with short returns in 2006 and 2008. In November 2008, Francis made another appearance on "General Hospital" and was expected to stay until November 11th.

Early Life and Family

Genie Francis, born Eugenia Ann Francis, was born on May 26, 1962, in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. Her father, Ivor Francis, was a Canadian actor of English descent who passed away in 1986 due to multiple strokes. He also appeared in "General Hospital" alongside his daughter. Her mother, Rosemary Daley, is an actress and model with Lithuanian ancestry. Genie is a devout Catholic and has an older brother named Ivor, a younger brother named Kenneth, and an older half-sister from her father's first marriage.

Personal Life and Career

Genie Francis met actor/director Jonathan Frakes during the filming of the television show "Bare Essence." After another encounter on the set of the miniseries "North and South," Genie and Jonathan began a romantic relationship in 1985. They got engaged in 1986 and were married on May 28, 1988. The couple has two children, Jameson Ivor Frakes, born in 1994, and Elizabeth Francis Frakes, born in 1997. They currently reside in Belfast, Maine, where Genie manages "The Cherished Home," a store specializing in home accessories and cottage furnishings. The store is located in an antique building with a beautiful view of the sea.

Breakthrough Role and Career Success

Genie Francis gained instant success in the late 1970s with her role as Laura Webber Spencer on "General Hospital." The on-screen couple of Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura became an international phenomenon and the most popular soap opera couple in history. They appeared on the covers of magazines such as "TV Guide," "Us Weekly," and "People." On November 16, 1981, 30 million viewers tuned in to watch their characters get married in an episode that became the highest-rated soap opera episode of all time.

After reaching the peak of her fame, Francis left "General Hospital" in 1982 to try her hand at prime-time television. She took on the lead role in her own series, "Bare Essence," but did not achieve the same level of success while remaining a beloved figure to fans. They were overjoyed when Genie returned to "General Hospital" in 1983, albeit for a short period. Over the following years, she continued to play similar roles in other soap operas, becoming synonymous with the genre.

She appeared in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" as Diana Colville from 1987 to 1989 and in "All My Children" as Ceara Connor Hunter, a victim of incest and the people who exploited her, from 1990 to 1992. She reprised the role of Ceara in November 1991 for the series "Loving" and returned to "General Hospital" in 1993. In early 1997, she disappeared from her most successful soap opera for nearly a year and a half to give birth to her second child.

In September 2002, Francis abruptly left "General Hospital" after ABC refused to meet the terms of her contract. In 2004, she told "USA Today" that she believed ABC wanted to push her out of the show after her 2001 interview, where she admitted to a destructive drug addiction in the early 1980s when Luke and Laura were at the height of their popularity.

Return and Other Projects

In June 2006, Francis began negotiations with the director's assistants about her return to "General Hospital" for a month in November. She appeared on screen to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Luke and Laura's fictional wedding. The reunion of the beloved characters attracted even more viewers than their wedding episode. Although her role lasted only one month, Francis was so successful that she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and won in June 2007.

In December 2007, Francis played one of the main roles in the Hallmark movie "The Note," earning positive reviews from critics. She returned to "General Hospital" in August 2008, but her character, Laura Spencer, was written out of the script, with Laura simply returning to France for treatment.

Advertising Campaign

In May 2007, Francis began participating in magazine advertising projects as the face of the "Medifast Diet" program. She claimed to have lost 30 pounds (13.6 kg) in December 2007 using this diet plan.