Genie Francis

Time to talk about our favorite soaps! We turn to the expert Soap Opera Digest Editorial Director Stephanie Sloane. General hospital star Maurice Bernard tells us that he loves his new story and working so closely with Cynthia Watros, who plays Nina, and the drama it's creating on-screen with Carly, played by Laura Wright.

On Tuesday, February 8, “General Hospital” icon Genie Francis was honored with an on-set celebration marking 45 years since her debut as Laura Spencer Collins on the daytime drama series. She was joined by several of her co-stars, including on-screen husband Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins) and the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, among others.

Everyone knows, when it comes to soaps, goodbyes don’t always mean forever. General Hospital fans won’t want to miss today’s Friday, January 21, episode as family and friends gather at the Haunted Star for a memorial in honor of Luke Spencer. ABC7’s George Pennacchio, who also happens to be a soap fan, visited the set to talk about the big event and the iconic character behind it all.

Genie Francis returns to the iconic General Hospital soap opera just in time for the holidays.

Is Laura leaving General Hospital? We take a closer look at the rumours that actor Genie Francis is moving on from her iconic role in the hit soap. Laura has been one of the longest running characters on General Hospital. She initially appeared on screen from 1974-6, and was played by Stacey Baldwin.

If you haven’t been seeing enough of Laura Collins on “General Hospital” as of late that’s because portrayer Genie Francis decided to take the summer off from the soap in order to spend some time with her family. But don’t worry, she’ll be back in the fall. “I’ve had such...

Don’t worry! While daytime icon Genie Francis is leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL, it’s only for a summer vacation and she will be bringing back Laura soon enough! “I’ve had such a fun time on GH and I’ve absolutely loved what the writers gave me to work with this season,” the actress told TV Insider. “And there are some really great storylines planned for the fall — but for now, I’ve decided to take the summer off.”

Expect Laura to exit the GH canvas soon — but not permanently — when her portrayer, Genie Francis, takes a summer break from the show. She shared, “I’ve had such a fun time on GH, and I’ve absolutely loved what the writers gave me to work with this season. And, there are some really great storylines planned for the fall – but for now, I’ve decided to take the summer off. I am very much looking forward to spending the time with my family and relaxing a bit. I promise, though, I will be back to Port Charles before you know it.” TVLine first reported the news.

When the actress took over the role in 1977, both the character and she herself hit the big time!. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the part, but when Genies Francis debuted on General Hospital on February 8, 1977, Laura had already been around in Port Charles for a couple of years. Young Stacey Baldwin (no relation to Scotty!) had originated the role, though this early Laura mainly existed to provide drama for Lesley Williams as she discovered that the daughter that she’d thought had died… er, hadn’t.