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‘General Hospital’s’ Genie Francis Talks Bringing Real-Life Trauma Into Laura/Sonny Story and Being Shunned for a Lead Actress Emmy Nomination in Upcoming ‘State of Mind’ with Maurice Benard

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC

In an upcoming two-part episode of Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health podcast, State of Mind, the three-time Daytime Emmy winner welcomes for the first time, General Hospital icon and long-running series star, Genie Francis (Laura Collins). The first episode drops this Sunday, November 16, with the second installment premiere the following Sunday on November 23.

Francis, who has played Laura on and off since 1977 and Benard who arrived in 1993, will talk about their current and upcoming storyline, which in a preview with the New York Post, appears to be one of Genie’s all-time favorites. “I love this story that they have given us,” shared Francis. “They asked me one day, ABC asked me what I wanted, and I said I want a story with Maurice Benard. And from that, they put together a brilliant story that I’m loving so much.”

Speaking on the on-screen relationship of Sonny and Laura, Genie added, “There are all kinds of love stories – they’re not all romantic. But you have really close relationships with people, and there’s a chemistry there with us, so I wanted them to write that.”

Photo: ABC

In a scene with Benard, Francis shared how she got to the emotional epicenter of it, which called upon her to recall a certain trauma from her past. “I realized that my way into that scene was about trauma,” she told Maurice. “I’ve had trauma in my life. I’ve relived trauma in my life, and I know what happens. I tried to tell you in that scene about my trauma, and you heard me.”

As for Benard, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 22 and started his own You Tube series back in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Maurice has remained a staunch mental health advocate by informing people on different mental illnesses, how they manifest, and how to survive through it which he has done, but been very open about his struggles in an effort to help others.

The subject of the Emmys will come up on State of Mind and according to the NY Post, Benard tells Francis, “Usually when I predict things, a lot of times they do come true. And I’d love to see you win an Emmy from what I’ve seen in two weeks.”

Photo: ABC

Having been the face of GH for a longtime, sadly, Genie has never won a Lead Actress Daytime Emmy, clarifying, “I have never been nominated for Best Actress, never once. I won once as Best Supporting Actress for a short six-week visit, but as far as Best Actress, it’s been a close-out for 49 years.”

Genie also recalled, “When I was a kid, how do you compare an 18-year-old girl to a 40-year-old woman who are in the same category?” That was a very hard thing for me when Tony (Geary) was nominated when I was a kid and I was not. I was embarrassed.”

So, are you looking forward to seeing Genie and Maurice working more together in the coming weeks on-screen? Do you agree that Genie should have, by now, at least been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series, if not have won at least once already? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, check out this teaser featuring Maurice and Genie below.

 

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First of all – I adore Genie and love whenever Laura is on my screen.

That she wasn’t nominated for Lead Actress the year Lucky was presumed dead in the fire is astonishing.

While she’s justified in pointing out that Geary got nominated early on, she’s wrong to imply he was a kid. His first nomination was in 1981 when he was already 34. He won the following year.

Because she is on so infrequently and is not often driving story, right now, she might best belong in the supporting category. Does she have the presence of a Lead Actress – absolutely- but the story (at least so far this year) isn’t there.

Why don’t we see the struggles of a mature woman raising her toddler grandson? Give her something to do other than being the mayor.

Something was bugging me. Genie must have a poor memory. A simple IMDb check verified she was nominated twice in the Lead category. Once in 1997 and the other in 2021 – just 4 years ago.

Yeah, it was puzzling that she would forget those nominations. The one in 2021, she was nominated for the scenes when Lulu went into the coma. GH had three Best Actress nominees that year, with Finola and Nancy joining Genie. And the one in 1997 I remember, because she was 8 or 9 months pregnant, and couldn’t travel to New York for the ceremony, so she appeared via satellite.

But overall, I think it’s fair to say that she’s been short changed when it comes to the Lead Actress category.over the years. There were a number of other years I thought she easily could have been nominated and wasn’t. But you can say the same thing for a lot of actors and actresses on every show.

There were a few years in the 90s when Genie arguably should’ve been nominated (in addition to 97).

As for the early 80s, there was powerhouse competition from well established industry vets. When Geary hit his first nomination in 1981, the five women up for best Lead Actress were:
Julia Barr, Susan Lucci, Robin Strasser, Helen Gallagher, and Judith Light.

Light, of course, won for her iconic courtroom breakdown.

Had there been a younger actress category in those years, Francis would’ve been a shoe-in.

Maybe she doesn’t give a shit.

Genie Francis is GH legacy and I would love to see her win a Lead Actress trophy. But GH needs to put her front and center and weave her into stories that may not be her primary plotline. I miss seeing favorite characters in and out of homes, hospital, and town hot spots just casually. It nuilds community and continuity. There have been lame Lead Actress winners in many years at the Daytime Emmy Awards. If this GH story is as promised, then let’s give Miss Francis the spotlight and let her talents shine and speak for themselves. She need not turn on tears or histrionics to make us engage in the stories or feel the emotions.

She is quoted in several articles online as saying she hasn’t been nominated for lead actress when she was nominated in that category in 1997 and 2021. I saw some clips of her upcoming interview on State of Mind, but I didn’t see her say the quote about not ever receiving a lead actress nomination. Maybe it was misquoted.

I”ve always been puzzled how GH has literally been shut out of the lead actress category for decades, yes their actress have been nominated and only four have won in that category Finola Hughes, Laura Wright, Maura West and now Nancy Grahn, I find it astonishing especially when you consider the other shows that have had actress win multiple times, and have left me scratching my head. We know who they are, all they do is submit scenes of themselves crying year after year. GH has been shown more respect in the supporting actress category which is just as important, Genie will hopefully be given just plain and simple a steady storyline, yes she’s the heart of GH but she’s treated like a supporting character on the show.

Watching what aired on Sunday’s Part 1…
Not sure if it was an edit or a misinterpretation, but Genie never says she wasn’t nominated in Lead, just she didn’t win in 49 years.

Also, it appears she said “Tony was nominated when I was a kid” (not when Tony was a kid).

I watched it today also and I agree with you 100%. Looking forward to part 2 next week.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair

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Sonny, Dante, Michael, Brook Lynn General Hospital

On the Thursday, October 1 episode of General Hospital, both Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) had some things to say and what they had to say didn’t go over well with whom they were talking to!

Sonny had a confrontation with his son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), while Michael leveled with Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) over Chase (Josh Swickard).

GH is setting up a scenario where everyone is going to make it look like Sonny was responsible for having Sidwell (Carlo Rota) beat up in Pentonville; while viewers already know Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) were behind it.

Sonny and Dante

Courtesy/ABC

A VISIT WITH DAD

Now, Dante comes to Sonny’s house. He wants to know straight up from his dad if he ordered the attack at Pentonville. Sonny flatly denies any culpability or responsibility, but Dante refuses to believe him.

Dante informs Sonny he has video footage of Sully and Vito at the prison. Sonny explains to Dante he doesn’t know why Sully beat up both Curtis and Dante. Things escalated when Sonny was deeply hurt that Dante refused to believe him. Dante says he was disappointed that his father didn’t respect him enough to be truthful with him!

Sonny asks Dante to consider that he was being set up. He says all he did was to tell Vito to instruct Sully to keep a watchful eye on Sidwell, not to harm him. No matter what Sonny said, Dante continued hammering him with how he knew deep down, even though he said he left the mob, he had to finish off Sidwell for himself.

Next, Sonny explains everything he has ever done was to provide for and to protect his family. Dante fired back that he doesn’t want to deal anymore with Sonny’s half-baked truths. As the two men argue, Gio (Giovanni Mazza) shows up at Sonny’s front door and overhears Sonny losing his temper and shouting at Dante, “Get out of my house! I don’t want a son like you!”  The scenes featured an excellent performance by Maurice Benard.

Michael and Brook Lynn

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL THE MANIPULATOR

While this is going down, outside the Quartermaine boathouse, Brook Lynn opens up to Michael about living at the Q’s with Chase being there, since he only came back due to legal advice from his lawyer, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard).

Brook Lynn questioned whether they should get legally separate. Michael insisted that would be a big mistake. When she asks why, Michael tells Brook Lynn to bide her time until Chase and Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) have an affair; then she’d have full custody of Phoebe.

An angered Brook Lynn pushed Michael into the water and accuses him of moving Willow back into the gatehouse with intent on putting Chase and Willow in closer proximity and sacrificing Brook Lynn’s family in the process.  As the two cousins bicker, Chase shows up asking Brook Lynn if she is OK. Michael punctuates their talk with “You know, I’m right.”

CURTIS FIGURES OUT A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SLAMMER

At GH, Willow visits Curtis (Donnell Turner) in his hospital room. Curtis wants Willow to get him pardoned and keep him out of jail, and in return, he will help her nail Sonny.

Next, Willow tells Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) she wants Curtis held for observation for three more days. He agrees to do so under one condition, that she understands that he may need to call in a favor from a congresswoman.

So, what did you think of how Dante accused his father and refused to believe Sonny’s answers? Is this the end of their father and son relationship for good? Is Michael the most manipulative person of all, except for Willow? Do the two deserve each other? Do you want Chase and Willow to have an affair? And what of Curtis? Does he have many redeeming qualities left? Share your thoughts via the comment section,  but first check out the talk Michael had with Brook Lynn.

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General Hospital

GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof

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Tajh Bellow and Loren Lott

Two soap opera alums very familiar to fans of General Hospital and The Young and the Restless are paired together in a new short-form digital series from none other than Issa Rae’s production entity HOORAE Digital.

Look for Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, GH)) and Loren Lott (ex-Ana Hamilton, Y&R) as part of the cast of  The Compatibility Experiment, premiering on October 14, 2026, exclusively on TikTok and its companion microdrama platform, PineDrama.

In the video teaser, it appears that Bellow and Lott play a couple, Kelvin and Camila, set in a Love Island reality show-esque environment trying to win the one million dollar cash prize, only what could go wrong?

The Compatibility Experiment

Photo: HOORAE

The Compatibility Experiment loglines share that it brings a fast-paced, relationship-focused reality check—much like Love Island with a twist. The show takes a participant’s current relationship, introduces them to a potentially more compatible partner, and forces them to navigate the differences with life-changing money on the line.

The new series is part of a groundbreaking content deal between HOORAE Digital and TikTok to develop premium short-form storytelling. The ensemble cast also features; Ayona, Reggie Luck, JaNa Craig, Tosin Morohunfola, Jessica Jacoby, Georgia Warner, and Nick Cassidy.

General Hospital fans know Tajh Bellow for his performances as TJ Ashford, and who earned two Daytime Emmy nominations along the way during his run. Bellow took over the role in 2018 and last appeared on the ABC daytime drama series in December of 2024.

Loren Lott first appeared as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister Ana Hamilton on The Young and the Restless from 2018 to 2019; making a brief return in 2024. She has continued to perform on the stage and screen with recent credits including: Bel-Air, Cherish the Day, and All American: Homecoming.

Check out the trailer for The Compatibility Experiment below and let us know what you think of its concept and if you are glad to see Tajh and Loren again? Hoping they might return to daytime in their GH and Y&R roles at some point in the future? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava and Drew Revealed to be Behind Framing Sonny for Sidwell’s Prison Beatdown

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Drew and Ava

If you thought that the person responsible for the Pentonville brawl that saw Sidwell (Carlo Rota) and Curtis (Donnell Turner) taken to General Hospital was Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) or even Sidwell himself, you were dead wrong! On the Wednesday, September 30 episode of GH, it turned out that the culprits were actually Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison).

In story, Drew apparently bankrolled the attack on Sidwell and framing Sonny. He told Ava their planned worked (she came up with it!) but was horrified when Drew informed her that Curtis got caught in the crosshairs. Ava is visibly upset because of her longtime friendship with Curtis’ daughter, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali). Drew tried to make Ava see the bright side. Curtis was witness to it and his presence will cast doubt on Sonny’s claims to that he had gotten out of the mob and gone legit.

Later, Vito shows up at Drew’s. They informed him that his guy on the inside of the slammer made a big mistake by hurting their friend and ordered him to leave town.

Maura West

Courtesy/ABC

BOATHOUSE BRAWL

In other major developments, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Rocco (Finn Carr) have a blow out fight as Danny blames his “brother” for the reason Charlotte was sent off to boarding school.

Rocco told off Danny for Charlotte’s (Bluesy Burke) reckless behavior and he explains he had to protect his sister. He went in on Danny saying that his mother Lulu (Alexa Havins) has been right to send Charlotte to boarding school and far away from Danny.

However, Rocco went a bit too far when he shouted, “And if your mom was alive, she would send you away too!” Next, Danny punched out Rocco, leading to a terrible brawl. An angered Danny yells at Rocco to, “Stay away from me and everyone in my family. And don’t you ever mention my mom again!” Danny storms off.

Rocco

Courtesy/ABC

Now alone outside the boathouse, Rocco flashes back to his first kiss with Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarksi), hoping that his fight with Danny will not escalate and ruin their budding romance. Meanwhile, a bloodied-mouth Danny heads over to Sonny’s and Jason (Steve Burton) is there at the same time. He then admits that he has a bad fight with Rocco and they are both beaten up.

WILL SCOUT WISE UP?

At the end of the episode, Scout, who had a fight with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) over Drew, and who keeps telling everyone how good a man her dad truly is, comes upon a suspicious scene.

Scout hides behind the wall outside Drew’s. She sees her dad, Ava and Vito talking. Next, Scout seems to overhear Vito assuring Drew and Ava that their business dealings are done, and he’ll be leaving Port Charles for good.

So, what did you think of the reveal that Ava and Drew were behind framing Sonny for the prison beatdown of Sidwell (and Curtis)? Do you think Danny and Rocco’s relationship can be repaired, or do you think the teenagers will continue to be at each other’s throats? Finally, do you hope Scout gets a clue and stops thinking her dad walks on air? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out how Ava and Drew conspired 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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