Quotes About Genie

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[Tamara Braun] [Tyler Christopher] [Doug Davidson] [Jonathan Frakes] [Loren Freeman] [Anthony Geary] [Rebecca Herbst] [Drake Hogestyn] [Jonathan Jackson] [Robert Kelker-Kelly] [Claire Labine] [Michael Logan] [Judi Evans Luciano] [Vanessa Marcil] [Brad Maule] [Ted McGinley] [Stephen Nichols] [Joseph C. Phillips] [Kin Shriner] [Sally Struthers] [Constance Towers] [Greg Vaughan] [Billy Warlock] [Michael T. Weiss] [Alicia Leigh Willis] [John J. York]

Tamara Braun (ex-Carly, GH), Soap Opera Digest, April 2003
Question: What's your favorite GH memory?
"Those [Luke and Laura] scenes were haunting. I rember sitting in the makeup chair while they were taping them and I was watching them [on the monitor]. I had to stop [makeup artist] Georgia. I was blown away. It was so intense."


Tyler Christopher (Nikolas, GH)
Although Nikolas’ romantic life is heating up. Christopher is most proud of his work with Genie Francis (Laura). “I realize how much I miss working with her,” he says. “I had a really intense connection with her, and outside of doing a scene, we’ve never sat and had a conversation - yet I share that with her for some reason. I think she’s got life figured out and I don’t even have to sit down and talk to her to know that. She’s maybe that figure in my life that I need that kind of connection with. I miss that and still wish she were here. The mother / son thing was great and I enjoyed doing that more than anything else, nothing personal against anybody I’m working with now. I hope and pray she comes back. Everything Nikolas is now is affected by his past with his mother and his issues with abandonment.”

Tyler Christopher, Soaps In Depth, August 10, 1999
"Nobody is more in tune with her emotions than her. She's such a wonderful mother figure that I don't have to do a lot of work (in scenes) with her. All I have to do is look at her, and I get a huge wave of emotion! I don't think I could have done half the scenes that turned out so wonderful if she wasn't the person standing across from me."

The question by GapQTPie from an online chat with Tyler Christopher
April 22, 1999 Chat

Tyler Christopher, Cyberplex AOL Chat, September 17, 1996
"One word -- amazing. She is so good."


Doug Davidson (Y&R), Soap Opera Digest, Jan 16, 2007
"Who's your secret soap crush?"

"It was a while ago, but I had a crush on Genie Francis and we did date. She's a great girl. We met at a soap opera appearance in 1979 or 1980 and we hit it off and went out for a little while. We were young and I picked her up at home. I saw her at the last Emmys and she's still beautiful. She and her husband are wonderful people."


Jonathan Frakes (Genie's husband)
"My wife always thought the best work I did on the show was the work I did with Marina. We had very good chemistry."

"I believe that the psychic phenomenon takes place. I see it in my wife every day."

[When asked: Will his wife ever appear in any of the Star Trek movies?] "Another good question! I certainly hope so. We were lucky enough to have Genie Francis appear in our final episode of Roswell last season."

"My favorite actor of all time is Genie Francis."

Jonathan Frakes, Soap Opera Digest, November 01, 2001
...contrary to popular belief, his wife Genie Francis’ ethereal appearance [on Roswell] as the alien teens’ mom in the first season wasn’t his idea. Thania St. John, one of the executive producers in the first season, is a huge fan of hers, and she asked me if I thought Genie would do it," Frakes explains of how the key cameo was conceived. "Genie enjoyed it immensely; it’s always nice to do something different." Aside from hoping she’ll return to his show, he says, "We’re always looking for stuff to do together; we’d like to do a project where I would direct her." Having met on the set of the ’80s soap Bare Essence and married in 1988, they shared the screen again in an 1995 episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, about which he says, "It’s a blast; it’s a real gift. It’s nice to go to work in one car." For now he has a regular role in her soap life: "I break the [GH] scripts down every night before she goes to work."

From an online interview with Jonathan Frakes about Thunderbirds
What was it like directing your wife, Genie Francis?

Frakes: She’s a pro, Genie Francis is. She shoots a lot faster than most actresses, because she’s done the soaps for so long. It was treat to finally get to put her in something, I’ll be honest with you. It has been a long time coming. My wife, Genie Francis plays the newscaster in Thunderbirds. I’ve done a couple of shows with her where we’ve acted together, but I’d never had a chance to direct her. I adore her, I think she’s great. The greatest compliment has been in England, where nobody knows her from Luke and Laura, and felt that I’d hired a newscaster from CNN, so it’s been a very good experience.


From a chat with Loren Freeman (ex-Elton, GH)
“The line I used to describe Laura when she was ranting and raving, when I asked her when she turned into Joan Crawford, I made that up and everyone loved it, especially Genie Francis (Laura).” In fact, Francis was the one who hand-picked Elton to play her assistant after his wedding planning days went kaput following Alexis’ jilting of Ned.


Random quotes by Anthony Geary (Luke, GH)
"We have a chemistry together that I've never had with any other actress, and I've been paired with some fine ones." - on his acting partner, Genie Francis (Laura), 12/20/83
"Genie Francis grew up on General Hospital. I grew old." - 5/11/99
"Genie Francis, because it works, obviously." -on his dream co-star, 5/11/99

Anthony Geary, after Genie won an SOD Award
"I am very pleased for her. Every day she turns in an extraordinary performance. It's astonishing it's taken this long for her to win. Nobody deserves a pat on the back more."

Anthony Geary and Jonathan Jackson Interview
Click here to read.

Anthony Geary, after Genie left GH
"I'm very sad to be losing my partner. I don't have any reason to think she might not come back at some point if things were right. But she is definitely taking her leave now and she's very happy to do so. She's going to spend a year in London with her husband and children. Genie has a very full life. But for me it is very sad. I love her. She is a wonderful, wonderful person and a fantastic actress."

"She's my partner, friend, and acting soulmate. I wish her nothing but the best, and will keep my fingers crossed that we will work together again."

From Anthony Geary's appearance (promoting GH's 40th Anniversary) on Live with Regis & Kelly. After showing a clip of Luke and Laura's 1981 wedding...
Regis: "Were you two a little bit in love at the time?"
AG: "Well, I've always been a little bit in love with Genie. But no, it was acting -- she's a wonderful actress. What we have together I've never experienced with another actor and that's utter and complete trust."

Anthony Geary, during Genie's maternity leave in 1997/8
"I've missed Genie. Everyday, she shows up to work ready to bleed for you. That's the kind of actress she is. She's always working: 'How can I hurt more? How can I be more full of love?' When an actor does that for you, that's a tremendous gift. I love her. I love working with her. She makes me better. She connects to this character so deeply."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera Weekly, June 2005
"It's always difficult for Luke to be without Laura," declares Geary. "And I miss Genie. I miss the connection that we have and the trust that you can have with another actor."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera Update, November 20, 2001
"We are profoundly close. Nothing means more to me on the set than to make Genie laugh when she looks troubled or to have her just touch my arm and say, "I know, honey." It's a marriage of creativity that's 20 years old; so much unspoken material and love between us."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera Weekly, May 23, 2000
"Shocked. Confused. Disappointed. Both Jonathan Jackson and I were nominated the last two years. It's a powerful triangular story we're telling here. It puzzles me how two points of the triangle can be acknowledged by the academy, while one point is repeatedly overlooked. The fact that Genie wasn't nominated again this year takes a great deal of the joy out of the event for me."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera Weekly, April 4, 2000
"I'm flabbergasted. I thought her work last year was among the best I've ever seen in any medium. I'm always shocked when she's left off the list, and this year was a stunner. It takes quite a bit of the joy out of my nomination when my partner is so grossly overlooked."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera News, May 12, 1998
"I'm glad she's back. I always feel Luke is a stronger character and has more humanity within his reach when Laura is there."

Anthony Geary, Soap Opera Weekly, November 21, 2006
"We have a really strong Spencer clan, and Miss Francis brings a depth of emotional wounding as the tragic princess of all time that opens the floodgates for everybody."
"I'm so fortunate! I'm caught between fire and ice. I've got two of the best actresses in the business. Genie's the emotional, volatile volcano, and Jane's the ice princess."

Anthony Geary, November 9, 2009
Q: "Genie Francis has said that she would love to return to 'General Hospital' -- and so has the show. Will it happen?"

A: "I think the chances of it happening are greater now that Jonathan's back. I've been told by the writers and producers that the Spencer group is going to re-emerge as a more important part of the show. If that's true, we certainly need to have [Laura]. Audiences still love Genie, and they love that character. She's my acting soul mate."


Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH)
"When I first came on the show, Genie was there and she was such a mom to me. I loved it."


From a chat with Drake Hogestyn (ex-Roman/John, DOOL)
DeeHallisno1 asks: What former cast member do you miss the most?

Drake: There's so many...
Drake: I can start with some of my leading ladies. I've had a few of them!
Drake: I had a great relationship with Genie Francis. She was a lot of fun.

Drake Hogestyn, Soap Opera Stars, August 1988
"Genie's a fine actress, a real actress. I can really feed off of her in a scene. She gives a lot. I think the thing I like best about her is her tremendous sense of humor."


Jonathan Jackson's (Lucky, GH) answer when asked:
Michelle Pfeiffer Vs. His GH Mom, Genie Francis, in a Celebrity Deathmatch: Who Wins?
"That would be a dang even fight. They're both very family oriented people, so if someone was messing with their kids, they'd get pretty intense about it. They're both pretty capable of throwing some punches--at least emotionally!"

Jonathan Jackson, Soaps In Depth, May 18, 1999
"The first time I met Genie was in Rochester, and I had my picture taken with her and Tony. I remember she signed my first script. I guess what I remember with her is an overall sense of openness for emotion. You can really affect her with what you say and the way you say it [in a scene]."

Jonathan Jackson, on his first days on the GH set
"When I first began on General Hospital, Genie Francis, who plays Laura, clued me in on what to expect as a child actor on a soap. She wasn't much older than I am now when she first joined the show. Genie warned me that studying wth a teacher on the set is a lot more lonely than in a normal school. And maybe the studying part is, but I've made too many friends at the studio to be lonely!"

Jonathan Jackson
Mommy Dearest: "I usually run my lines in the hair and makeup room. I'll go in there with my script, and Tony and Genie will be sitting there." Today, however, Francis drops by his dressing room to read through a pivotal scene. On her way out, she says with a laugh, "I made him work, didn't I?"

Jonathan Jackson, Soap Opera Update, July 3, 2001
"I can never forget Tony (Geary) and Genie (Francis). I take them wherever I go -- always. They're in everything that I do."

Jonathan Jackson, EW.com, October 28, 2009
Are you hoping for a reunion with your onscreen mom Genie Francis?
"I would absolutely love to work with Genie again. That would be a privilege and an honor. I think it would sort of complete the Spencer family dynamic. The actress playing Lulu (Julie Berman) is fantastic, Nathan (Parsons), who’s playing [Luke's newest other son] Ethan, is great as well. There’s a great dynamic with the Spencers. Having Genie come back would be incredible."


Robert Kelker-Kelly (ex-Stavros, GH), on landing the role of Stavros
"I didn't expect it. I had a great time. Genie (Francis, Laura) was fabulous. It was great working off her and playing off her."

Robert Kelker-Kelly, Soaps In Depth, June 26, 2001
"Working with Genie, who is so wonderful, and bouncing things off of her, listening and reacting and seeing her listen and react was quite invigorating."


Claire Labine, We Love Soaps
"She’s a gifted actress, particularly in that role. Genie Francis owned Laura in a way that few actresses have owned a character. She understood that character inside and out."


Michael Logan, TV Guide, June 23, 2001
"Kin Shriner (Scotty) and Genie Francis (Laura) who, a staggering 24 years after first being teamed, are still a divine, subversively fascinating duo. But they're the only reason to watch [GH]."


Judi Evans Luciano (Adrienne, DOOL)
Though exteriors were shot on remote in Greece, Justin & Adrienne's ceremony on Days of Our Lives took place at St. Sophia's, a Greek Orthodox church in Los Angeles. The weather was hot, and the bride had a bit of a temperature control problem.
"They had to give me little hand fans to put under the skirt because I was sweating buckets." Evans laughs. "[Otherwise], it was really neat because everyone kept saying, 'You're the bride. You're the bride...Out of the [makeup] chair, we have to do the bride.' I felt special that day."
But being special had its drawbacks. "You'd better perform, or else," Evans says, but there was also a danger of getting too caught up. "Genie Francis [ex-Diana, DAYS; Laura, GH] came up to me when it was all over and said, "I just want you to know I love you and you're special. On my wedding day on General Hospital, everyone just went home and I felt lonely and really depressed and I don't want you to feel depressed.' That caught me by surprise, but she was right. At the end, everyone just went 'OK, that's a wrap.' You're left standing there with a bouquet in your hand thinking, 'I get to drive home alone.' It's like you were jilted at the altar. What Genie did was really special. I've never forgotten it."


Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda, GH)
“I would love to work with Genie, too,” Marcil adds. “When I first started watching Tyler work, it was with Genie and she is such a good actress. Seeing them in scenes together is what reeled me into watching him. I would love for Brenda and Nikolas to be involved in any way because I want to work with him - I think he is such a good actor - but also because I want to work with Genie,” she says with a laugh. “Like Tyler said, she gets it. She’s about her family. It’s not about the industry and all that.”


Brad Maule (ex-Tony, GH), Inside General Hospital, July 1999
"I thought I was going to be intimidated by her, and yet we have very sympathetic souls, the two of us."


Ted McGinley
"Genie Francis is amazing. She's an American icon. She gives it all, every take. She's a consummate pro. She's great to work with. It's been fun, it's been really fun to sit and sort of work things out with her. She really is a wonderful actress."

"It's great. It's been really great."[he talks about Douglas Barr a bit & then says] "And then to meet Genie, who I've also watched over the years and didn't know her at all and it's so nice to come in already with this history with people and to see Genie it's like working with an old friend."


Stephen Nichols, Cyberplex AOL Chat, August 2, 1996
Question: How do you like working with Genie Francis?
ABCStar: I'm very, very happy to be at GH. And I'm ecstatic to be working with Genie Francis. We have a fabulous chemistry--from the first moment we sat down to work together.

Stephen Nichols, Soap Opera Digest
Match Made In HEAVEN. Stephen Nichols admits that the most challenging things about playing enigmatic Stefan Cassadine is "walking the line between his dangerous side and his vulnerability because I've never believe [anyone is] one-dimensional. We're all people, villains or not, we're all just human." And while clearly it's Stefan's strained relationship with that nasty woman he calls "Mother" that brings out his dark side, it's Laura (Genie Francis) who brings a smile to his face. "There's no doubt that Genie and I have chemistry together, but I think there are a lot of factors involved in why two actors click and why they work well together," Nichols suggests, adding that he credits Francis' intelligence as a contributing factor to the success of their on-screen pairing. "She knows what she's saying and why she's saying it and always has a point of view," he explains. "So I'm always very clear about what she's doing, and I don't have to create some kind of scenario about what's coming from her to make my thing work. We just keep throwing it back and forth -- I just really enjoy working with her!"

Stephen Nichols, Soap Opera Weekly, November 9, 1999
"At first I felt a bit of pressure and responsibility. I thought, 'My god, these guys as a couple, they're the soap opera icons.' And I remember they wanted me to do a tribute to these guys once and they put me on-camera to say a few words. I said, 'I never understood this Luke and Laura thing, because I had never watched. I didn't know what the big deal was until I worked with these two.'" Nichols says he and Francis clicked the moment Stefan first laid eyes upon Laura on the docks of Spoon Island. "She's game for it, I'm game. And Tony's game; it opens up new story opportunities for all of us, so it's worked out great for everyone, I think."

Stephen Nichols, Soap Opera Weekly, December 12, 1999
Love and Laughter: GH's Stephen Nichols has lots of compliments for leading lady Genie Francis, particularly since the twosome taped their first real love scene in record time. "We worked for about an hour, put our clothes back on and went home," Stephen cracks, noting that the segment was "fun and quick."
Not that there weren't a few foibles and fumbles that sparked a little laughter along the way. "We were doing the usual uncomfortable acrobatics," Stephen relates, "trying to get the little kisses, hugs, neck nuzzles, and all that kind of thing right. The medallion [I wear as Stefan] was hanging off its chain and kind of hitting Genie in the face. I said, 'You know, you should take it off.' I thought it would be a nice moment if she decided that Stefan should just get rid of the whole Cassadine thing before they make love."
Genie proceeded to remove the medallion during rehearsal, "but it got stuck in my hair and she really couldn't get it over my head. It was stuck," Stephen says, noting that Genie "started to laugh. But she told me, 'Don't worry. I won't laugh when we tape.'"
When the cameras rolled, the same thing happend. "And she laughed," Stephen says. But thanks to the magic of background music and editing, it didn't ruin the intense scene. "Although there was one part where Genie was smiling really big," he admits.
There is one other thing that Stephen confides about Genie after cuddling with her beneath the sheets. "She has incredibly soft skin," Stephen says. "Baby-soft skin."


Joseph C. Phillips's (ex-Justus, GH) answer when asked:
So what was it like to meet Anthony Geary and Genie Francis?
"When I first came on the show, I spent most of my time working with them," he recalls. "So that was a blast. I liked them both. I had met Genie a few years back in an acting class in New York. The whole 'New York experience' gave us a lot to talk about."


Kin Shriner (ex-Scotty, GH), Soap Opera Digest, December 21, 1999
"I have a great time with her. I spent my ripe, young years with her. There's a lot of history."

Kin Shriner, Soaps In Depth, June 11, 2002
What was it like kissing Genie Francis (Laura) after 20 years? Did you both have have a lot of fun working together? Is Scotty going to accept now that Laura will always love Luke?
Shriner: "It was like I just kissed her a week ago. There was something in that kiss that brougt me back 25 years to the first time I kissed her on-camera. It was a first time for her... for me. It seemed like, "Oh, yeah. I remember this.' And, yes, I will spend no more time on that girl! I'm done with that. There's no point as long as he's around. I said to Genie, 'I guess nobody is going to break up Luke and Laura.' She goes, 'Well, if anybody could have, it would have been you.'"

Kin Shriner, from the same interview
How does it feel to work with such great actors as Anthony Geary and Genie Francis?
We all started together, so we all derive just as much fun now as we did in the early days.

Kin Shriner, Soaps In Depth, October 15, 2002
"I told Genie that I'm not going to say good-bye because we're not done here," said Kin Shriner (Scott), who was joined by fellow colleagues Denise Alexander (Lesley) and Anthony Geary (Luke) at the on-set party. "There is still another chapter down the road where we all live happily ever after. I'm going to miss her so much." Then he added with a laugh: "So much that I moved into her windowed dressing room to keep it warm while she's gone."
To see picture, click here

Kin Shriner, Soap Opera Weekly, November 5, 2002
My First Kiss: "My first screen kiss was Genie Francis, and then I forgot the others."

Kin Shriner, Soaps In Depth, March 6, 2001
"Genie's great. She's always right there. She laughs at pretty much everything I say, so she's a good audience."


From a Sally Struther's (ex-Jennifer, GH) interview
"There were flowers in my dressing room, and everyone I ran into hugged me and shook my hand - actors, hairdressers, the camera people - I couldn't believe how friendly everyone was. I thought that these people are going to be a clique, they've all been working together for so long, and they've had plenty of actors come through that play a part for a day or a week. But everyone was so friendly and wonderful. The other day, Genie Francis (Laura) said to me, 'We're on a lunch break, and I bet you don't know where the commissary is. Why don't I walk you over there?'"

Sally Struthers, from the same interview
"Genie couldn't be nicer. She's just an angel. She has no agenda, no guile and no competiveness. She's just so kind and good. I wish she were my daughter."


Constance Towers (Helena, GH), Daytime TV
DTTV: Describe these actors in "ONE" word
B. Genie Francis

CT: B. Luminous


Greg Vaughan (ex-Lucky, GH)
Spencer kids Greg Vaughan (Lucky) and Julie Marie Berman (Lulu) couldn't get enough of having on-screen mom Francis back. "It was great for the few weeks," enthused Vaughan. "We wish it could have been longer. She was such a treat. We had fun and we really hope everyone enjoyed it."


Billy Warlock (ex-AJ, GH; ex-Frankie, DOOL), Soap Opera Digest, March 5, 2002
"I love Genie. She has always been nothing but really cool to me, and I think it's because when she came over to [DOOL as Diana] when I was there, she was just an actor. She wasn't Laura. So, we got to know each other on a really base level. Genie's a sweetheart and an amazing actress. It's a shame that she doesn't have an Emmy in every room."

Michael Weiss (ex-Mike, DOOL), Soap Opera Update, October 1988
Genie Francis, who plays Diana Colville, and, for a time, was Mike's best friend: "Genie and I have become very good friends. I kind of miss the fact that I don't get to work with her too much anymore. We got along great. I think Genie and Drake are great together, I just miss working with her. I think they (Mike and Diana) had a nice relationship."

Michael Weiss, Soap Opera Digest, August 8, 1988
"When Genie first came on I thought, 'Uh-oh, Genie's going to be this big star, I'm going to have to beat her up to get her to be normal,' and she's the biggest sweetheart and has become one of my closet friends."


Alicia Leigh Willis (ex-Courtney, GH), Soap Opera Digest, April 2003
Question: What's your favorite GH memory?
"Seeing Genie Francis [ex-Laura] do those scenes with Tony Geary [Luke] during Laura's breakdown. We knew that she was leaving, and I think a lot of that came out in the scenes. Just watching that was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen. It was amazing, the two of them otgether, and I think that was my favorite memory."


The first question from a Q&A with John J. York (Mac, GH)
Q: Hi, John!
I'd like to say how much I enjoy your work, and I hope to see lots more of Mac in the future! I think you have good chemistry with just about everybody, and I love when Mac gets to interact with my favorite PC residents. Any chance we'll be seeing Mac and Laura sharing any airtime soon? I love watching those two; I think I've worn out my tape watching that time they danced on the roof! ;) Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! You rock!

Becky

A: Hi Becky,

Working with Genie Francis is always a wonderful experience. She is such a professional and makes herself so open to her fellow actors, it's easy to see why her scenes turn out so well. I hope to be working with Genie in the future, but in what way, remains to be seen.

Thanks, you rock too!

John

The fourth question from a Q&A with JJY
coolzero88 : Hi John- Patrick from RI. This an honor and nice to meet you, hope you get back on contract, you deserve it. What was everyone thoughts or reaction with Genie Francis performance her last week?

JohnJYork : Hi Patrick, Genie is an extraordinarily talented actress whose portrayal of Laura has been vitally important to the history of the show. We were all sad to see her leave, but as you well know, characters always seem to come back.