Home Show
1992


Genie Francis: "They don't know the cause of it. They don't have a cure for it. They don't have a way to prevent it. And a close friend of our family has recently been diagnosed with it. It's another reason I feel, you know, particularly lucky to be involved in this event.

Man: "Tell us a little bit about the walk. Now, when is it, how is it going to take place? Is it going to be across America?

GF: "Yes, it's taking place--"

Man: "How do you get involved?"

GF: "-- in 250 cities across the country. Jonathan and I are doing it in New York City. It's a 10-mile walk, 10 to 12, but you do not have to walk the full length. It's important just to show up and participate in any way. There'll be wagons to take you to the finish line, so that you can party at the end. And there'll be prizes given out for pledges and what not. It's a day of fun and it's to raise awareness. I love walkathons and events like that. I think they're great fun.

Man: "I did one and I'll tell you what. You got to be careful about the shoes you wear 'cause I thought I had a good pair of shoes -- I had sneakers." [Genie laughs.] "Or, you know, good jogging shoes. I wound up with a blister after about 6 miles."

Woman: "And that can hurt, too."

Man: "It got be be awfully painful. You mentioned Jonathan. That's your husband."

GF: "Yes."

Woman: "You've been married four years and it's a long distance marriage."

GF: "Yes, it'll be four years..." [The interviewers comment about Jonathan.] ... "We'll be married four years in May and for two years now we've been going back and forth. I work in New York, he works in LA, and so we've been travelling quite a bit. It's not easy."

Woman: "He's doing Star Trek out here."

GF: "Yes, he plays Commander Riker."

Man: "So you guys have this bicoastal situation?"

GF: "We do for now, yes." [Laughs.]

Man: "How long does this go on? Does it go on for months at a time or? Just weekends?

GF: "Well, he works about ten months out of the year."

Man: "Boy."

GF: "So during that time we're travelling an awful lot. One of us travels at least every week. We see each other generally on the weekends."

Man: "So one of you -- do you have a schedule where one goes to New York and one comes here or?

GF: "He's done more of the travelling this year than I have. He takes it better than I do, and I've been doing a lot of plays in New York at the same time so I haven't been free on the weekends to travel."

Woman: "Oh, I see."

GF: "But it's not easy." [Laughs.]

Woman: "Yeah. But's nice that he can come to see you in New York.

GF: "Yes, yes, it's wonderful. He came -- I was opening a small off off show called Group, A Moment in Group Therapy, and he came and surprised me and was there for my first preview night, which I thought was very, very sweet." [Smiles.]

Man: "Ah, so we got a romance in there. This guy's a romantic guy."

Woman: "Aww. I like this guy a lot, yeah."

Man: "Genie, this is terrific. So y'all don't forget. It's the National MS walk..."

GF: "It's the Super Cities Walk and it's the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the number to call--"

Man: "We got it right here. 1-800-?"

GF: "I bust MS." ... "And I have a little gift for you two. T-shirts for our walk. I hope you'll become involved or perhaps you can sponsor me since I am walking."

Man: "What do we do? Just give you so much per mile?"

GF: "Yes, you do."

Woman: "And you'll be walking in New York."

GF: "Yes."

Man: "Got any quarter plasters somewhere?" [Woman and GF laugh.] "Thanks, Genie."

GF: "Thank you."