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Genie Francis on her decision to go to Y&R & her disappointment in GH!

April 5, 2011

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

The newest cast member of The Young and the Restless, soap superstar, Genie Francis opened up to EW.com on how the move to come to the number one soap came about, and how her appearance on Oprah really was the beginning of a new chapter for her, and yet it felt like her General Hospital life may have come to an end.   Here are a few excerpts from the interview from the fantastic Francis!

Genie on how she was offered the role of Cane’s mom on Y&R: “I got a call from [Y&R Executive Producer] Maria Bell three or four weeks ago. She explained to me that she had seen me on Oprah and liked the idea of what I wanted to play, and she had an idea of how to write that, how to incorporate that into A story on Young and the Restless. She would create a new role for me. I wouldn’t be coming in to replace someone. She called me personally to ask me if I was willing to listen to an offer, and I said, yes, I’m willing!”

Genie on how she thinks her fans will respond of her moving away from GH: ” What I have found is that my fan base will follow me to whatever I’m doing. They gave me a big tune-in for Hallmark. They were just happy to see me working again, and my job is not to disappoint them, not to cheat them. And I feel like the last little appearance on GH cheated them. I welcome the opportunity to do something new to continue to entertain my audience. What I loved about Laura — and what people loved about Laura — is that she is a terrific memory, but it’s just not there anymore. [GH] cannot conceive a Laura who is 48 years old, a grown woman. So that’s that. I’m a little surprised, too, since this year is the 30th anniversary of Luke and Laura’s marriage. (The wedding aired on Nov. 17, 1981.)”

Genie on her Oprah Show comment where she stated, “there is nothing in me that is willing to play a victim anymore.”  when Oprah asked whether she would ever return to GH: “I guess I didn’t really think about how it would be received. I just felt like it was time to talk from my heart, and tell the people that yes, I’d love to come back to work, but I want to work in a way that uses all of me so I’m not just cheating my audience. I felt for a while with the GH appearances, they were kind of using me as a media trick, bringing me on for three or four weeks, saying I was back on the show, but not really writing for me. And then I would be gone. I just didn’t like that anymore. I guess it was me putting my foot down. I would have loved to come back to [General Hospital], but I needed them to write a real role for who this woman would be now. They didn’t respond. I didn’t hear anything. And that’s a shame. I was willing to put it out there, see what could be done. But I did receive a lovely call from Maria!”

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GLturns70
GLturns70

Ring My Bell!! Good For Genie Y&R is going into May Sweeps Full Speed Ahead!!!!!

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April 5, 2011 6:48 pm
sondra
sondra

Good for Genie and good for Y&R.

Reply
April 5, 2011 6:59 pm
gordo
gordo

No wonder Y&R is #1 they are so frickin smart over there. Thanks for posting this, GH can be sooo stupid sometimes, this is so one of those times.

Reply
April 5, 2011 7:22 pm
andrea R.
andrea R.

What a smart woman. Y&R are lucky to have such a talented actress. Gh is hopeless!

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April 5, 2011 7:46 pm
Brian Greene
Brian Greene

Yay Genie! 🙂

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April 5, 2011 8:31 pm
Balee
Balee

I agree with YOU, Genie! GH should have had the intelligence to write Laura as a smokin’ hot Cougar who’d recovered physically & mentally through some soap opera miracle. She could have arrived back in Port Charles with a “boy toy” in tow and put the entire town on its collective ear. Ignoring Luke, after finding him married to the shrewish Tracie, she could also have come into money somehow and just had a blast with the entire cast. She could have been written so completely opposite of the victim she once was and now be the strong, determined and beautifully avenging angel, taking no prisoners for all those who had betrayed or wronged her in the past! Wow, it makes me dizzy thinking of what the GH writers (are they really?) could have created with a grown up and dangerouslly beautiful Laura. Oh, well…. Y&R is #1 for a good reason—–Maria Arena Bell and thank God she was INSPIRED to call Genie! I cannot wait for the fun to begin when GENIE HITS GENOA CITY!!!

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April 5, 2011 8:40 pm
nan marge
nan marge

Boy, do I agree…GH has hired writers fromOLTL which was cancelled. I guess GH will be the next to go. Love you Genie

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February 17, 2012 10:21 am
Holly
Holly

You tell em honey! Kudos to you! Stupid is as stupid does, and GH is nothing if not stupid.

Go and kill it over on YR!

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April 5, 2011 8:43 pm
Sue
Sue

She hit the hammer on the head. They don’t know how to write a 48 year old Laura. Shameful the way Frons and GH treated Genie. It was Luke AND Laura’s wedding that was the daytime high water mark. Frons and ABC forget that.

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April 5, 2011 10:53 pm
ethel
ethel

genie i am so glad you put your foot down with gh – i was glad to see you back on gh but so disappointed the way they wrote for laura – your fans deserved much better than that – best of luck on y&r – can’t wait to see you in genoa city!!!

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April 6, 2011 3:28 am
Shelley
Shelley

I am so excited ! I will follow her to Y and R ! She will be great with Tristan Rogers. They had great chemistry on GH!

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April 6, 2011 6:23 am
kay killgore
kay killgore

Absolutely correct Ms. Francis they never appreciated you GH is always about the male characters! Thank you Y&R if Genie had went back to GH I would have had to start watching that poor excuse of a soap again!!!!

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April 6, 2011 3:17 pm
Jimmy
Jimmy

genie is so rite general hospital does not know how to write they did the same thing to Emma samms also when she came back and when Kristen Wagner and robin mattson .abc should just cancel general hospital !!

Reply
April 8, 2011 1:05 am
Pat
Pat

But, but…she will be playing the mother of a 37 year old man!!!

Reply
April 20, 2011 8:43 pm
Wendy Jamieson
Wendy Jamieson

Hi Genie,

I love watching you on Y & R and was really surprised that you have a shop in Belfast, Maine. I live in Canada but only about a three hour drive from there. We go down that way often to Bangor and Portland shopping and am excited to stop by your shop. Do you live in Belfast too?

Have a great year and hope to see you on Y & R for a long time to come!

Wendy

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January 11, 2012 6:43 am
nan marge
nan marge

GH and I go way back to its roots. I have watched on and off thru the decades. Luke and Laura were my super couple. Now retired, I’ m again hooked. Luke and Tracy don,t do it for me. I have waited for Laura to reappear because ther is so much reference to her in the script. I guess they write for the youger generation but look how many boomers are about to retire and would watch to see L&L celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary!! I watched Y&R just by chance and saw Genie! So I seached her out. No chance for a GH comeback…boohoo

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February 17, 2012 10:15 am

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Mac Is Named Police Commissioner In Port Charles; But They Say It’s Temporary

June 19, 2019

In a cool move, the powers-that-be at ABC’s General Hospital, had Laura (Genie Francis), the now mayor of Port Charles, name none other than former commish, Mac Scorpio (John J, York) as interim police commissioner while Jordan (Brian Nicole Henry) recovers from her kidney transplant and needs some time to recover from her medical ordeal.

Now while the show is making sure in story it is stated that Mac is the temporary person in charge of the PCPD, for many longtime fans of the series, they remember fondly when Mac held down the position for years.

In the current issue of Soap Opera Digest on newsstands now, York said on the surprise story turn: “I was thrilled when Frank Valentini (EP, GH) told me!” He added that he was advised there was great story coming up, and added, “That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to see what is going on.  However long it lasts, I’ll take whatever I can get and I’m really looking forward to being back in there.  There is a whole nee squad. a whole new group of people. I don’t even know who these cops are anymore!”

Shortly after being named commissioner on Monday’s episode of the ABC daytime drama series, Mac is already getting wind of some criminal activities and things that seem way off; from Lulu’s (Emme Rylan) new assignment with The Intruder, to his brother Robert (Tristan Rogers), being pushed out of the WSB and forced to retire, and much more.   Can Mac get the police department to solve some crimes ..> for once?

So, what do you think of John J. York getting to be back in action at the PCPD? Do you hope somehow the story turns and remains in the position even after Jordan is well, or are you hoping Jordan can get back into the swing of things fast and return to her job? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Veronica Cartwright To Appear In Secret Role On General Hospital

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Now here’s an intriguing bit of casting news out of General Hospital. According to an item from EW.com, Veronica Cartwright (Aliens, L.A Law) will appear on the ABC daytime drama series in a secret role.

The tidbit on her part that was revealed is that she will share scenes with Maura West (Ava Jerome).

Cartwright’s first episode will air sometime in early July and it will be a five episode arc.

Last seen in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,. Cartwright has worked in TV and film since 1961 amassing a huge amount of acting credits including the motion pictures: Witches of Eastwick, The Right Stuff, plus the above mentioned credits.

So what would Cartwright’s mystery role have to do with Ava J.?  Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Elizabeth Hendrickson Says Goodbye To General Hospital

June 7, 2019

On Thursday’s GH, the character of DA Margaux Dawson announced she is stepping down from her position after siding with the law against the manipulative and blackmailing Shiloh (Coby Ryan McLaughlin).  Margaux informed Port Charles Mayor, Laura Spencer Collins (Genie Francis) of her decision.

Around the same time, actress Elizabeth Hendrickson revealed on her Instagram account that she had wrapped her  run on the ABC daytime drama series, with a photo of her in front of the GH studio sign expressing: “It was an incredible year on @generalhospitalabc playing Margaux. Thanks to all my new friends, It was truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. On to the next!”  Hendrickson began playing Margaux in 2018.

Now it will be interesting to see who becomes the new DA of Port Charles.

As for Hendrickson, rumors have been swirling that she may be returning to Y&R now that Adam (Mark Grossman is back on the canvas, and Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) and Kevin (Greg Rikaart) are coming back.  Could Chloe be far behind?

So, send your well-wishes to Liz on a job well-done, and let us know where you are hoping she turns up next via the comment section below!

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GH icon Genie Francis chats with Michael Fairman about her return to the soap as Laura after being taken off-contract earlier this year. Leave A Comment

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