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‘General Hospital’s’ Genie Francis Shares Memories of Anthony Geary and Luke and Laura on ‘Good Morning America’: “I’m Just Heartbroken”

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC

On Tuesday, Good Morning America paid tribute to the late Anthony Geary, the iconic Luke Spencer of General Hospital who as previously reported, passed away on Sunday, December 14 at the age 78.

The GMA segment took a look back at the rise of Luke and Laura as played by Geary and his longtime co-star and leading lady Genie Francis. Showing retro clips of how Luke and Laura met, the beginnings of the controversial Campus Disco scenes to their now legendary 1981 wedding that brought over 31 million viewers to watch the nuptials live on ABC, and of course, the arrival of Oscar winner, Elizabeth Taylor as Helena Cassadine.

At that time, General Hospital was a pop culture phenomenon that had everyone missing school or work to watch Luke and Laura say their “I do’s” Reflecting on the loss of Anthony Geary, Genie Francis spoke from GH’s studios in Los Angeles this morning sharing more on what working with Tony meant to her all these years later.

Photo: ABC

THE MAGIC OF LUKE AND LAURA

Genie expressed, “Tony was a very warm person, a very sensitive person, and incredibly funny. I was, very, very young and Tony was very protective of me, but we knew we were doing something very edgy. Gloria Monty (then executive producer, General Hospital) always said that we were going to change the face of daytime, and we knew we were doing that. We were so excited. We didn’t want to leave when we were released. We’d sometimes sit on the stage and just talk about what we had done.”

“There are all kinds of successes, but ours was different in that it was truly lightning in a bottle,” Francis shared on the rise to popularity she shared with Tony Geary. “It it was the most unexpected place, you know, a soap opera, which was about to be canceled that took everyone’s interest and swept the nation. It’s a piece of history that I’m glad I took part in.”

THE BEST LEADING MAN A GIRL COULD EVER WANT

On Monday, Francis shared an incredibly touching tribute to Tony, which included how she felt him slipping away in the middle of the night this past Sunday. The same day he died.  Speaking with GMA, Genie is still shaken-up, “I’m just heartbroken. I’m so sad. But, you know, I’m so lucky that I got to have this man as my first leading man. He ruined me. He ruined me for leading men for the rest of my life. Basically,  because I started with the best.”

GMA longtime correspondent and now cast member of General Hospital, Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain), also shared his thoughts on Tony during the ABC’s morning show celebration on the life and times of the eight-time Daytime Emmy winning actor: “The Luke and Laura days, they were huge. They were massive celebrities” remembered Mathison. “They could barely walk outside and he (Tony) was just a very sweet man, very kind, very encouraging, but also just had this confidence, this sort of essence about him. That was pretty magical. ”

You can watch Good Morning America’s segment in tribute to Anthony Geary which will take you back to the heyday of Luke and Laura below.

Now, let us know, did you watch Luke and Laura’s wedding when it was broadcast back on November 16 and 17, 1981? What are your thoughts on the sentiments Genie Francis shared on the death of her longtime leading man, Anthony Geary? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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BRILLIANT ACTOR AND ACTRESS

My mama watched it all the time and I took interested in it .Over 40 years later I’m still here watching and know some of my daughter watch it too . 3 generations of love in the afternoon . My highlights were Luke and Laura . I watched the wedding and also have an anniversary ring I bought that he gave Laura

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Will Ava Tie the Knot With Drew?

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Ava

On the Friday, November 13 episode of General Hospital, Drew (Cameron Mathison) convinces Ava (Maura West) they need to get married, to each other! Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) hopes to get the DNA results on Jude (Will Traval) she has waited for, and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) secretly co-conspire to find out who in Port Charles had the infamous tick!

Here’s what went down: Drew explained to Ava that they needed to get hitched ASAP, that way, they couldn’t be forced to testify against each other in the Jack Brennan case. After initially being kind of sick of the thought of marrying Drew, he made her change her mind, by throwing out the fact that if she lands in jail Sonny (Maurice Benard) will have Avery (Ayla Bullington) all to himself.

Next, Ava heads to GH to ask Lucas (Van Hansis) to be her witness in marrying Drew. Lucas has already figured out the reason Ava is marrying Drew because it has something to do with Brennan’s death. Explaining she hates the idea of getting married to Drew, she has run out of other options. Lucas agrees to help her, but firmly tells Ava nobody would believe it was a real marriage anyway.

Ava and Drew

Photo: ABC

CAN MOLLY AND JOE STOP THE WEDDING?

At the same time, Drew asked Martin (Michael E. Knight) for a post-nuptial agreement. Martin was not happy to hear that Drew was going to marry Ava, warning that prison was a better option than tying himself to a woman like Ave Jerome.

Eventually Ava, Lucas, Drew, and Martin gathered at the city clerk’s office. Lucas comes up with a way to derail or stall the nuptials by saying that they need to wait for Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) and Avery to show up, as they should be a part of this, too.

Lucas may have saved the day, because Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Joe (Jonathan Bennett) went to Drew’s office to serve him his warrant, but found the office door open. Next, Joe found a sticky note on Drew’s folder that revealed Drew had obtained a marriage license. A light bulb goes off in his head and he realized Ava and Drew are getting married, so he and Molly rush off to City Hall to try and stop it.

Brook Lynn

Photo: ABC

IS JUDE THE TRUE BABY DADDY?

Elsewhere, after receiving a text message that the DNA results are in at the hospital, Brook Lynn ends her discussion over Jude and baby Phoebe with Gio (Giovanni Mazza) and runs out of the Quartermaines.

Once Brook Lynn gets off the elevator at GH, she sees Jude and Britt  Kelly Thiebaud) looking might close. She quickly heads back towards the elevator sight unseen and was clearly shaken by what she saw. Earlier at the doctors and nurses hub, Elizabeth helped Dante by confirming by an ear gesture they had worked out; that the patient with the tick was Ava Jerome.

You can check out the scenes where Lucas gets a visit from Ava and he learns she wants him to be her witness in marrying Drew at City Hall.

Now weigh-in: do you think Ava and Drew will tie the knot before Joe and Molly make it to City Hall? What do you think the DNA results will show once Brook Lynn gets her hands on them? Have they been tampered with? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Fears Escalating Tensions Between Sonny and Josslyn: ‘I’ve Already Lost One Kid Because of That Man. I Won’t Lose Another’

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General Hospital

On the Thursday, November 12 episode of General Hospital, as battles line are drawn by Carly’s (Laura Wright) ex-husband, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and her daughter, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), she realizes things are about to get a whole lot worse, and she expressed her fears to Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).

After Sonny came to see Carly to get her daughter to back off of him; especially when Josslyn lit into him in front of nuAvery (Ayla Bullington), Carly is terrified that Sonny could retaliate against Josslyn. Realizing, Josslyn is in danger, Carly won’t sit by and let anything happen to her. She tells Valentin, “I’ve already lost one kid because of that man. I won’t lose another.”

Viewers won’t soon forget the devastation Carly felt when Morgan (Bryan Craig) died in a car bomb explosion back in 2016 because of Sonny’s dealings in the mob in a complex story involving Julian (William deVry) and Olivia Jerome (Tonja Walker).

Avery

Courtesy/ABC

SONNY IS READY FOR WAR

Meanwhile in the aftermath of his visit with Carly, Sonny told his brother Ric what went down when Josslyn disrespected him in front of his own daughter and hurt Avery. Since Josslyn already make it known that she no longer considers herself part of Sonny’s family, he’s decided to treat her accordingly.

Sonnys first step in payback is to take away her support system at JJE by approaching Hudson Parker (Troy Lennon Appel) again, but this time in a much less-friendly way.

Ric points out that this would go against every move Sonny made as a legitimate businessman in Port Charles and would mean he’s back in the mob? Sonny doubles down, saying Josslyn changed the game when she involved Avery. While he showed concern of how bad Carly would feel over all this year, he said he is ready to finish what Josslyn started.

At the Metro Court, Ava (Maura West) is listening to Avery explain what happened between Sonny and Josslyn and how much she hates Josslyn right now, which Ava seems to be OK with.

WILL JOSSLYN’S WORLD BLOW UP ON HER?

Speaking of Josslyn, she is on the pier still after her talk with Hudson and still crying over her confrontation with Sonny and Avery overhearing it, and what she told her sister. Lucas comes across her at the pier while out for his run.

Explaining how badly she feels for what she said about Sonny to Avery, Lucas says that eventually Avery will discover the truth about Sonny. He explains to Josslyn that even though Avery hates her now, she will come to realize that what she said about her father was the truth, and that Josslyn was not lying to her at all.

So, what do you think about Sonny ready to play dirty to take down Josslyn? How will Carly ensure her daughter does not wind up dead? Who do you think is in the right here? Is Josslyn’s vendetta against Sonny justified, at the cost of the relationships with her family? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing

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Stacy Keach and Cynthia Watros

General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.

In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.

Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”

Photo: ABC

In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.

STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING

Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”

She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”

Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”

Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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