General Hospital
Genie Francis Returns To General Hospital On June 5th! Laura Returns Because "Her Family Needs Her!"

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
The first airdate of Genie Francis’ return to General Hospital as the iconic Laura Spencer will be next week on Friday, June 5th, according to an exclusive item at EW.com, which also shows a first look photo with her on-screen son, Nikolas Cassadine played by Tyler Christopher.
As to what brings Laura back to the Port Charles canvas, GH producers informed EW that the reason for her return is that “her family needs her.”
Genie Francis return is her first back to the ABC soap opera since 2013, when she returned as part of the series 50th anniversary milestone.
GH fans are also hoping that Laura’s return will dovetail into the exit storyline of her longtime screen partner Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer) who’s final 10-week-run begins on air on Monday, June 1st.
What do you think will be Laura’s story when she returns to General Hospital? Happy to hear Genie is back next week? Comment below!
Welcome home! I do hope you’ll stick around for a very long time! We missed you!
Whatever her story is, it cant be worse than her last visit…..but this is GH……lol
LOl! It could be worse. Maybe Laura will dance around the hospital with Dr.O or she and Franco can take turns smashing paintings over their heads. Laura can open a nail salon with Denise.
Genie’s back, she’s a GH, a Soap, icon, but look what she’s coming back to? It’s a ploy for ratings. TPTB had no use for Laura for two years, really had no use for her while she was back. Now two years later they aren’t exactly hitting it out of the park with ratings, so enter Genie. Luke’s back tomorrow and he is in the final stretch and she comes back Friday. They should get a boost in ratings, but it will be because of the players and the event…then what. It will still be surrounded by all the current nonsense; Denise, Franco/Nina/Ric etc.
Genie is such an icon and huge part of GH. Laura is such an important character and she is such a terrific actress. But unfortunately without the right team, she is reduced to another casting stunt and that is such a shame and such a poor reflection on the current state of GH.
How Genie has been used since she left in 2002 has been terrible and insulting. She gets misused for ratings and dismissed until the ratings fall again. Meanwhile the poor writing, characterizations and stories keep going with the most shallow characters imaginable. Time for the producers to watch Breaking Bad or Mad Men and find out what good story development is.
GH may unseat Y&R in the ratings and take the #1 spot during Genie’s visit AND Luke’s departure.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Agreed!
While I want Laura to interact with Luke, I don’t want her purpose to be to usher Luke off into the sunset. Luke had years of story without Laura. Give Laura a real story. Genie is a capable actress. I’d love to see her on contract and stick around
My thoughts exactly. Don’t bring her back just to support and ‘exit’ Luke. Let her stay and showcase her talents.
You took the words right out of my mouth–couldn’t agree more!!
We talked about Laura showing her stuff many, many weeks ago. I agree with all of you….Laura should waltz in with confidence and ease….be her own woman/person…not an extension of Luke.
With you on this AJ! There’s plenty more help the family needs, long-term, than Luke…like being around as a grandmother for Rocko, especially since Olivia will be off on mat leave for a while. Spencer could sure benefit from her being around. Brit grew on me after she was off the show, but Laura would be a better influence on him.. And Nik really needs an intervention. As much as Laura might love him, she’s been around the Cassidine’s too many times not to see through some of Nik’s deceptions. And she could be formidable in case Helena makes another appearance. Then there’s Lucky. He’s been ” hiding out” elsewhere for too long. Maybe she could convince him to at least make an appearance. Could be double interesting when he would see Liz and his own kid again.
I agree with you
Luke’s apparently more mature relationship was living with a woman to cheat on, insult while she insulted him. They enjoyed criminal activity and Luke spends more time drinking than anything. He abandoned his children and TG apparently found out being bad was more fun than making sure the dog was fed. There used to be a lot of room for good people who occasionally did bad things but somehow everyone became people you couldn’t respect or really bad. Maybe Laura should run for mayor of Port Charles and actually do the job she was elected for.
Great point on “there used to be a lot of room, etc.”. And Tony’s not the only actor where being bad was more fun. Lots of actors mention how they like to play more “complex” characters once in a while, you know, peel the layers away type thing. Similar to what Melody on Y&R has said about liking to play a drunk. But there has been too much of the bad guys getting away with being bad guys lately.
All the Mayor’s in PC are crooked to!
I couldn’t agree with you more re Luke’s so called “mature” “relationship” with Tracy–what a farce! Yes, everyone on the show seems to want to be “bad” and maybe win an Emmy (!?) like Tony Geary’s over-the-top violation of Luke won for him. Where is the audience in all this?
As mayor, Luke wasn’t corrupt, he just ran because he wanted to legalize gambling but lost on that count. He only lasted a month or less. Lee Baldwin got the job after that and he was honest.
The actors who say acting “bad” was more fun is because the “good” character has become cartoonish as have the bad characters. People have many sides to them and do bad things from time to time. Heather definitely was a “bad guy” on the show but was always accepted into the community and received support from someone. Luke did a rotten thing like staying away for months and letting people think he was dead and getting mad when people weren’t waiting for him when he returned. But no one thought Luke was always a bad person. Laura was sexually abused by a boarder in her mom’s home and killed him when he made fun of her but she wasn’t thought of as just bad. There are plenty of stories to tell if the characters are complex and have depth. I liken the bad/good thing in soaps as comparable to the static 60s sitcoms where the stars played “good” for years and only some situations changed and eventually an evil twin would show up so the star of the show wouldn’t get bad with their role. Those kind of ideas pop up in shows with plastic characters who don’t develop.
AJ, any suggestions for a storyline for Genie?
I’d love to see her work with Nic to try to take over ELQ! Her vs. Tracy. We need to mature women to battle! As for love interest, if Tristian Rogers leaves Y&R, would love to see her & Anna in a triangle to get Robert.
I’d like to see the real Luke and Laura on screen before the demise of the Luke character.
Me too. I also wonder why everyone has to look so unattractive and instead of acting, the actors tend to spit out aggressive short lines and look at each other for bizarre movements and reactions. I thought I’d watch the end of Luke and return of Laura but if this is the extent of the writing, acting and directing, I’m all for burying this show. No wonder the height of of soaps were the 70s and 80s. The Daytime Emmys since 2000 have been quite a joke and Geary probably looks better than many of the male actors no matter what he does. Female actresses and characters barely matter. Laura’s only reason to come back to PC would be get Nikolas to shape up? Shape up to what?
Laura may very well be the voice of reason to her otherwise wayward son, Nikolas. If she knew the truth of her son’s dive into the dark side, she would probably have a big influence over him changing his ways.
Furthermore, Laura will help Lulu figure out who Valerie really is.
I, for one, do not buy her sugary attitude. Methinks, the girl has an agenda.
hey!!!
I am so lovin Darker Nik !!
I never want him to be walpaper do nothing boring character again..
He was always the male version of Sister Teresa..
Nik is a Cassidine !!!
Tyler/Nik needs to be a Cassidine! or else he’ll fade away as a blob of blah ..
Su…Lol…”blob of blah.” Can’t say I’ve heard that expression before. That might just be the best “nick” name anyone’s come up with yet!
Male version of Mother Teresa? That’s hilarious. I suppose we do need a baddie Cassadine to maintain his rightful place in Hades….the chasm that is Wyndemere. I wonder if Nik has cloven hooves? (Feet)……and, where the heck does he keep that pitchfork!!
I don’t mind Nikolas having a dark side but does he really have to put out a hit on the woman with whom he enjoyed sexual relations?
That’s so cheap, tasteless…..that is so Sonny.
Harry, like you I don’t mind a little dark side to Nik. Really didn’t like the rigged election, but really, really didn’t like the hit.
But there are degrees of Cassidine’s dark from black hole to more moderate, at least for them. If I remember, Stephen was more on the moderate side. He really raised Nik, and schooled him on the business savvy he would need to run the Cassidine’s empire.
Plus, their family is more gothic, old European that I find intriguing. Often wonder why they ever even settled on Spoon Island in Port Charles. It’s so American.
Dark Nick rules!
The darker Nikolas–another violation of character and, worse, without any motivation to go to the “dark side’–other than that all the characters on GH are going to the “dark side.”
I can only hope FV finally pulls the plug on a fewwwwww more HOPELESS WASTRELS
Dragging the show down. Starting with Valerie, enough with this uninteresting interloper,
who doesn’t belong or deliver. Lulu has become a Whiny mess, whatever happened to
the strong independent woman she once was? Morgan needs to stop following KiKi
around like a some lost puppy, he needs purpose a legitimate JOB. Michael running
ELQ is laughable at this point he’s not equipped to do so,maybe under Tracy’s tutelage
in a few yrs who knows. WE need to see more of Kathleen G, Maura W, Jane E, Roger
H. Give him more substance a little more Todd a little less Franco, we R losing the
Essence of who he was. Bring back GOOD interesting characters, Stephan, Brenda
Jax, Faison, Robert, recast Robin the hospital could use a couple of new doctors.
I’m glad Genie F. Is making an appearance Laura needs to mend some fences and
school her wayward bunch.
@CeeCee….We are so on the same page where “Val-Chops” is concerned! There is something extremely insincere and resentful about her….as if she’s harboring a deep-seated contempt, just lying in wait and biding her time until she can pounce….mainly by sinking her teeth into Dante and ruining his marriage. She especially seems to have a particularly vile agenda against Lulu that actually goes beyond her barely-concealed desire for her cousin’s hubby. Nasty piece of work that Val-Chops is….for sure, for sure!!!!
Val Chops! Oh the visual! This is brilliant.
Rose, yes! I like the internal battle between good and evil as much as the next guy, but Nikolas gave into the dark side way way too readily, and without a struggle.
Stefan raised him to be the anti–Cassadine often telling Nikolas he takes after his mother. Stefan was his mother’s greatest disappointment because he spent his time reading Byron and Keats as a lad rather than trying to figure out ways to freeze entire cities and their inhabitants.
Well, Shay, Girl. It seems to me, Dante wants to be bitten. Either he’s a willing participant of whatever is brewing within the tenacity of those ‘chops’, or he is really stupid. I would think he is too astute to fall for the wiles of calamitous women.
Plus, I agree with you on Valerie’s feelings about Lulu. She could be harboring some resentment as how differently they grew up. Perhaps she envies the fact that Lulu had two parents and a modicum of a normal life….anything is possible. We still do not know who her father is. Many would like her to be connected to the Q’s ( not too familiar with Edward’s mistress who bore him a son, Justus).
Then again, Valerie could be a really nice girl with no malicious intent. Nah, I like the idea of her being a baddie better!…..LOL.
I hope we do not have another Alexis and Julian in reverse here……where Dante falls prey to Valerie’s machinations…..as Alexis to Julian.
Yes, Shay, Alexis should know better, at her age….and yes, she has been singing the same song for…how long?
Which brings me back to what we were discussing on the other site (May 18)….you know, your hilarious comment of ‘changing in a wind tunnel’…..LOL.
One of these days, Alexis will show up in court with Julian’s pants on, while he is wearing her skirt. Since they, more likely than not, always get caught in bed, they erroneously scramble into the wrong clothes.
Another one of my replies to you has bitten the dust, Shay.
I could just see with my mind’s eye your description of Alexis getting dressed in a wind tunnel, asking how you come up with this stuff. You had me in tears, laughing.
And, yes, your comparison to Anna’s state of bien habille’ in contrast to Alexis’ state of constant dishabille, is starkly evident.
Speaking of Anna, her mind seems so frail….as someone suggested, ….can’t remember who, and I’m too lazy to check; she will take a leave of absence because of a nervous breakdown.
I am also very confused with Sloane’s tepid explanation of his dubious activities….I still don’t get him…is he or is he not on the right side of the law? I trusted him. I want him to be a good guy.
He gave Nik away. Where does he go from here? And, what will Anna do with the information? Confront Nikolas? Hmmmm.!!!!
Are the baddies just the mayor and Nik? And, is Helena pulling the strings?
I’m still waiting for Wilson from “Home Improvement” to stick his head over VAL Chops teeth!
@CeeCee….That “windtunnel” concept came to me the other day as I took yet another askance gander at the shambolic Alexis…..I truly don’t understand why this woman always looks like a wet dishrag! It’s not only upon the occasions of post-nooky with Julian….Ms. Davis has this very lackadaisical style when it comes to her mode of dressing, or lack thereof….not only can she not be bothered to button up her blouse, but there is simply a disdainful nonchalance about her entire wardrobe….it’s ill-fitting and as we have so previously discussed, often highly inappropriate. The polar opposite of the impeccably-clad Anna. And speaking of, I truly hope the aforementioned Ms. Devane doesn’t completely collapse in her deep despair….she’s such a strong and admirable role model, better she takes her leave rather than falling apart onscreen. (I would love to see her in Scotland scattering Duke’s ashes….would be a most poignant scene, and given FH’s own upcoming work in that stunningly breathtaking country, it should be possible, but alas, it won’t happen.) As for Sloane, I’ve no earthly notion where he’s coming from. I initially thought he was but an overly-officious fed, then just another dirty cop, but now???? I do think his current behavior is being colored by his feelings for Anna, so whatever his endgame was supposed to have been, perhaps he has now switched sides???? Ditto for Nik….his odd antics have puzzled me, as well. Maybe when Laura shows up some answers will be forthcoming. Lastly, I agree that “Val-Chops'” and her seduction of Dante will only work if he is a willing participant. What I cannot fathom is how this increasingly-insolent, sneaky miss will appeal to the straight-laced cop. He’s been around much more attractive catnip before and has never shown any indication of straying. Plus, in terms of Ms. Spencer’s obvious ill-will toward Lulu, anyone with a sense of proportion—and history—would know that Luke and Laura’s daughter’s upbringing was not all cream teas and cotillions…she had a tough life after her mother’s slide into mental obscurity and her father was certainly not a stabilizing force what with his hardscrabble tendencies, hence, I find the assumption that Lulu is some sort of princess with a lifestyle to be envied a really tall order. Perhaps the true underlying motivation for “Val-Chops’ enmity will be forthcoming…..I’m still totally mystified as to her own origins and how the seemingly saintly Patricia ended up with her…are they really even bio-related??? Some background info would be helpful, but then such details are hardly this regime’s strong-suit!
Love you both! I realize it would be difficult to write a soap everyday and explain EVERYTHING but how can a Spenser roll into town and not be a full Caucasian and not ONE person has said to her, “Hey, we noticed that were all pale white and you have a deeper color, whose your daddy???”
Well, Shay…there it is. I have no clue what kind of lifestyle the Spencers had, or Lulu’s childhood. ….bad, HUH?! Poor kid!
Are we to believe that the erratic trip down memory lane with Fluke was not only to arouse our pity for Luke but also, to introduce Valerie? I am dying to know the real reason Valerie is around!
Voila’, Shay….I knew Anna and Sloane would connect. I like this ‘ensemble’…LOL.
Better he than Duke, anyway.
@CeeCee….The Spencer kids had a most, um, unconventional upbringing! Though there were times when their family was together and enjoyed happy moments, there was often high drama…. plus numerous occasions when they had to split up due to various reasons, usually for the purpose of personal safety. Hence, even with the love that was there, Lucky, and especially Lulu, had a difficult time of it….first, she suffered a childhood illness that introduced the character of Nik when his bone marrow was needed to save her life, then Laura was frequently absent because of her own hardships, including mental illness, and Lesley had to step in to rear the Spencer daughter. When the girl returned as a teen to Luke’s–and stepmom Tracy’s—care, she was rebellious and definitely a chip-off-the-old-Spencer, as she attracted the wrong kind of company. She crushed on Dillon Quartermaine and ended up getting pregnant, then terminated her child’s life. Next, she took up with Scott’s good-for-nothing illegitimate (Has he any other kind?) son, Logan, and accidentally killed him, which put her in an insane asylum, not unlike her mother. After that, she encountered Johnny Zaccara, and became involved with him. Once they broke up, Lulu took a liking to Ethan Lovett, but thankfully, she discovered he was her half-brother before their relationship proceeded any further. Which then led Miss Spencer to an undercover cop Dominic, who was later revealed to be Dante. They had a most rocky road to their long-awaited marriage, including the kidnapping of Lulu by Franco, where Dante had to save his love from a strapped-on bomb. Since then, she has suffered as a brainwashed hostage at the hands of the crazed Stavros and his deranged baby-making schemes. So….hardly a charmed life there, eh???? This is but a brief encapsulation of the trials and tribulations of Lesley Lu Spencer Falconeri….of course, “Val-Chops” is undoubtedly unaware of most of this, but jealousy of her cousin’s “life” is certainly not appropriate given the circumstances. Therefore, I have to wonder what exactly is the beef with Luke and his daughter. I can understand she may blame the Spencer patriarch for her mother’s death, but it looked as if Patricia were on her last legs anyway….no pun intended! There would seem to have to be something more awry there for this calculating miss to be honing in on Dante ….furthermore, there needs to be a suitable explanation for Val-Chop’s existence…particularly in Port Charles! Finally, oh yeah, Anna and Sloane actually did the deed….wholly predictable as it was. I’m still not sold on these two as a couple, but it was at the very least refreshing to see someone besides A-Lexis-Sexis having a mature adult assignation. (And I’ll bet Anna will look just as impeccable tomorrow, no “windtunnel effect” for her! LOL…)
@Timmm….Thank you! It is rather bizarre that not one person has addressed the “elephant in the room,” so to speak, and simply asked “Val-Chops” about her background! Other than the facts that she loves to cook, covets her cousin’s hubby and has VERY big, white teeth, we know nothing about this young woman. Is she even a true bio-Spencer, or did Patricia adopt her? And exactly what purpose does she serve on the current GH canvas? Inquiring minds want to know!!!! P.S. As for Wilson, alas, we shall be waiting forever for him to arrive in Port Charles. Earl Hindman, who portrayed Tim Taylor’s affable neighbor, passed away over a decade ago. By the by, did you know that he also played Delia’s brother, Bob Reid, on Ryan’s Hope??? Small (soap) world, huh?
Agreed! And who is Valerie really? The writers have given us the sketchiest indication.
Well, nancy, the writers must think they are capturing our interest…NOT! Just annoyance. There is nothing captivating about this girl, except a set of huge, brilliantly white teeth…..blinding!
Have you ever seen the FRIENDS’ episode where Ross gets his teeth extra-extra whitened?
I must add that, your previous post got a chuckle out of me. Before long, everyone will be a big, happy, gone-to-the-dark-side family…you’re right about that!
Genie Francis/Genevieve/Laura, is no big deal to me and most likely anyone who started to watch GH after 1989 (26 years ago) when she left, we never seen her.. So, no big deal for us..
She is noted for one thing, being Luke’s bride/a wedding..
every time she is mentioned it is for being Luke’s bride and that is what she is known for, not much else to know of her.
So- I as every one after 1989, Genie would be a new character..
I seen her as Genevieve on Y&R nothing exciting lol ..
All you who know of her, enjoy!
it seems like a big deal for you, hope you have a good time with her return 🙂
I think your timeline is a little confused.
Lmao. Ya think??? Genie left Days of our Lives in 1989. She had left GH in 1984. Returned in 1993.
Maybe she was time travelling in the TARDIS with Doctor Who.
Thank you for sharing, Suoo.
You are absolutely over paid for working for abc daytime get your timelines straight! Francis and Geary both left in 1983, Geary came back and played Bill Eckert 1991 to 1993 returned with Francis in 1993 to play Luke she stayed until 2002 then left thanks to JFP TG has Fracis to thank for him even being a hit on the show he knows it and so does everybody else. So take a seat Suo you are suoo over paid!
Apparently you’re unaware, su0000, that she returned in 1994 and was on through sometime in the 2000s (and that’s not even counting a handful of brief returns since she left the second time). So no, she would not be a stranger to “every one after 1989.”
(But even if that were the case, it’s not necessarily so that it wouldn’t be a big deal to everyone who had never seen her before, just because it isn’t to you.)
You might also be unaware that she was on GH for several years before Luke/Anthony Geary made his debut and was already quite famous; I think she was on the cover of TVGuide. Granted, the Luke/Laura pairing was a phenomenon, but it’s not true that being “Luke’s bride” is what she is known for.
That’s odd, because 1993 is after 1989, and 1993 is when Luke & Laura returned to GH. Ms. Francis remained onscreen (except for a pair of maternity leaves) through 2002 and has made brief occasional returns since, most notably in 2007. You don’t remember any of that?
Golly Gee, Su. I was three in ’89. I very much like Genie Francis. What you are stating is too much of a generalization. I hope she will be a permanent fixture…I enjoy watching her.
Hi su0000…yes there was the wedding. But Laura was more than a bride…she was the rock and strength that kept Luke and Laura and any idea of family together. Plus, she held her own against their constant problems with Frank Smith and his cronies, and the Cassidine’s.
I think it all came to a climax when Laura wanted to buy Mary Mae Ward’s picture-perfect-postcard, little house in Port Charles, and finally settle down after years of being on the run from Frank Smith. But Luke liked the road at heart. It started grating on their relationship. He wanted to please her, but it just wasn’t in his nature to settle down.
In a way, their relationship sort of reminds me of Nikki and Victor…you either finally have a breakdown in the case of Laura (and other reasons also contributed), or you drink like Nikki.
And, once again, su0000, I feel your priorities are misguided. To besmirch Genie Francis’ contributions to GH is unfair. As others have stated, she was on the show, driving storyline, long Geary made his entrance. Her contributions continued through the huge wedding of Luke and Laura into the 80s, 90s, and beyond. She even won an Emmy in 2007 for her role.
Sadly, the powers that be have not been kind to Genie over the years, including the dreaded JFP. Anytime Genie is brought back, most viewers know they are in for, not only a tie-in to GH’s past, but also a major treat! So, yeah, it’s a BIG DEAL!!! 🙂
I am echoing: GENIE FRANCIS IS A BIG,BIG DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve made this point to. I loved the story of Luke and Laura but after they sputtered, Genie has not made any major contributions to the show. Is it her fault? Probably not. She acts what is written. How can you write for her other than being a mother or grandmother? Plus, again not her fault, she missed out on so many stories where the character should have been on the canvas. I welcome her back but do not expect much.
Genie Francis is like a breeze. She brings light. I hope that her return will bring about something big for Nikolas. While I like Nikolas walking a little on the dark side, it is not completely plausible. I do have to say that since I started watching GH — I am fairly new to the GH canvas — I love the writing style. It’s hard to bring laughter into so much drama but Carlivati has done just that. I will take any ride with him as long as he keeps it fresh and fun. Can’t wait to see what develops with Laura being back in town. I know that with Luke on his way out there may be a temptation to send Laura on her way as well but hopefully she will bring something new to scene. Keep up the great work GH!
GH production
“do not” change Tyler Christopher’ Nikolas Cassadine… he’s too GOOD
hopefully… this is just that much more for Nikolas to juggle… let’s say… Hayden wakes up… and Nikolas actually missed her…. YES
why not have… this trio… juggling together… all of Port Charles
Nikolas / Liz / Hayden
what a dreammaker
I don’t think Nicolas can ever go back to being the honorable character he always was after keeping Jason from Sam, scheming against ELQ, or more importantly, ordering a hit on Hayden. The ONLY way I see him eventually returning th his former princely ways is if we find out Helena is mind controlling him in some way…
Good puppy eyed characters fade away and seldom get a story, they are just wallpaper..
Tyler is a great actor and needs a good exciting role to play..
Nik can not just be playing off Spenser..
Nik is a Cassidine and it is about time he comes to life and Tyler has his turn upfront and exciting..
Nik is a cross between good and bad, and that is good..
I am looking forward to his Cassidine DNA erupting !
GH needs an active Cassidine or the family will die..
The Cassadines are an awesome soap family, intriguing, exciting, and a mixed bag..
Su00, every thing you are saying goes against character development. Nikolas turning to dark side is fine, but we need to see that internal struggle to make it believable.
Ideally, Nikolas should be more like Stefan, who raised him, and who allowed viewers to see his dualistic self fighting the internal battle between good and bad.
Having Nikolas turn into a one dimensional villain is just bad writing.
Harry…as I stated above I’m not sure Nicolas hasn’t been programmed by Helena. It is SO out of character for him to try to kill someone…
Hope she’s back for good, the great tony Geary had a great run without her now it’s her time to shine on screan without him, there’s so many things she can do, furthermore what has her character been up to, I’m sure there’s a lot of story there. Please no Scotty though he doesn’t deserve her, so let’s do her right GH.
Sing it, Aria!
I hope the writing for Laura is decent this time. She deserves it–her fans deserve it.
We can only hope they do her justice.
Scotty does not deserve Laura, but they do share a past too. I am Laura comes back strong. Pair Genie with Vincent Irizzary, who would make a great Cassadine. Something fresh and new. Have her be a true matriarch. Do not tarnish her with David Gray type sightings, frozen embryos, or curses. Make her strong and nurturing. As for Luke I always loved their love story so I am hoping that magic returns. We read in the press the Luke is done, but I do not truly believe that. Sure a contract will run out. But the door will be open for the greatest actor ever to grace daytime television, if GH were to ever end, Luke and Laura better be apart of that.
Vincent Irrizary would be perfect!!! Good call.
For sure, guys!! Irizzary would make a perfect Cassadine . His best performance is delivered when acting the scalawag, the rascal, the fiend and the rogue all rolled into one. Good call, Howard!!
Vincent would make a great Cassadine. Plus, like any good Cassadine worthy the name, he knows his way around hospitals and questionable research (circa AMC). And not too bad to look at either.
In agreement with you.
Welcome back, Genie! She looks better than ever! I can’t wait to see what they have in store for Laura.
I’m Already Shedding Tears THINK ING About THE Scenes Soon To Take Place WITH Laura and Luke but I’m also eager to see ABC give Genie the same respect they gave Tony and have her play Laura stories that have nothing to do with Luke. She has been on the run and fought the cassadines with Luke so she can handle things herself.
I guess its never too late but didnt her family need her like a year or so ago. Good luck Genie, you look great!
I am so glad that Genie Francis is back, and I do hope that they give Laura the storyline she so richly deserves and not just having her back temporarily to help usher out Luke. Now that Anthony Geary is leaving, his huge salary can just be transferred over to Genie Francis, and she can remain on contract with the show. There is so much story potential for Laura all on her own. I don’t think Genie would’ve returned this time if they didn’t promise to do right by Laura. Genie really wanted much for Laura than just being used to prop up someone else’s story. Whatever happened to Laura and Lucy opening up that spa together? That story just dropped without any explanation! Fingers crossed for her!
Guess I’m one of the few that liked Genie’s story on the show the last time she was on in 2012. The beginning of the story, anyway, when her and Luke went on the adventure like the old days, and got into it with Helena and Stavros, among others. That was like old school GH, and I loved it!
After that is when they dropped the ball on Genie, and really didn’t have much for her to do. They sent Laura back to Paris for a check up, in what must have been the longest doctors appointment in history. I mean, I’ve waited a long time in a doctors office before, but 3 years, lol?
All joking aside, Genie has always been one of my favorites, and I’m so glad she’s coming back. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for her this time. Like everyone else, I hope she stays for a while. Obviously she’s gonna tie into Tony Geary’s exit storyline, which only makes sense. But it would be nice to see her stick around in Port Charles after he leaves, and keep some Spencer representation on the canvas.
glad to see genie back but i won’t get excited until i see how she will be written this time around……………
Nor I.
Will be great if Leslie is there for a few scenes a well!
Dan, I agree with your comments on Genie, including the ridiculously long doctor’s appointment and bringing back Denise Alexander as Leslie.
I guess there are two “Dans” but I agree with the other Dan too.
Sorry for the confusion, Dan. I guess the main point is that we are all in agreement. Take care.
There has not been a better love story than Luke and Laura and so far not since if it wasn’t for Laura coming back when she awoke from a coma I would of never started watching GH again , and continued watching it hoping she would come back . Was very disappointed the last time she was on to see Luke and Laura love story ended.
I too hope they write story for Laura not Luke and Laura. Genie needs her own story and a contract. I hope when Lesley (Denise Alexander) shows up they make her stronger and not just support for Laura. Denise has such a long history with the show. I never understood after they found Lesley why they kept her diminished mentally. She is a doctor. Send her back to General and have her interact with Monica for example. Also, I so wish that Ron would fix the Rick Webber character assassination that JFP did. Rick was a good man and his legacy destroyed by rewritten history. One big thing that bothered me was they kept referring to Rick as Laura’s step daughter but Rick had adopted Laura.
Step dad I know lol
I love the new nic and I so agree
I truly don’t know what to expect of Genevieve / Laura
i could throw in Diana of DAYS
but… it’s clear… @su… we can’t win on this one… I too… did not get caught… in the Luke and Laura phenom
dang! I wish I had been in the know… of the mother/daughter relationship… of Laura and Lesley, plus
I read.. verbatim… that Laura was already an established “star” when Luke happened on the scene
AND
yes
all the history seems to steer toward Luke
is that fair ???
absolutely NOT !!!! ?
was Anthony Geary aware and relative to the goings on?
what if?
it seems he tired of the L and L scenario… and he’s absolutely right?
I want for Laura to COME ON as a “strong” WOMAN
why is that so hard to ask?
as I’ve posted… I hope that AG’ Tony… squired away and will bequeath to his first love… an estate and longevity in Port Charles… for her tenure
Genie Francis deserves THIS
big
let this woman charge place requisite her action (s)
I fell in love with her on Y&R as Genevieve… so I know the quality is in place
do not squander this opportune MOMENTS.. this is tear
history to cull … to draw from… a registering of past plus
make Laura LIVE
could it be Kevin ?
could it be Stephen Nichols ? Stefan Cassadine… DO IT !
the audience fettered and mined her presence hilt
Genie Francis… this is your show
I’m glad to see Genie Francis back at GH. I’ve missed her on the show.
I won’t get too excited, I’m already hearing it’s only a brief return.
Well wouldn’t it be a great twist and really great intro for Laura’s return to Port Charles, if SHE has been off working with WSB all this time, and kicking ass Herself. She could have been working along with Lucky and Ethan, and having HER OWN adventures chasing criminals working in the WSB herself.. She and the Guys, could have been helping out Frisco and Scorpio. This would keep Laura in town after Luke, Lucky, Ethan, and Holly are off again, as an Agent, like Anna She would have that job, while still OUR LAURA, who is in some way tied to everybody in PC whether by blood or a previous marriage or several thru the years… They could all originally have come to Port Charles tracking the bad guys, schemers and Conmen and Women, like Helena and the Cassadines, perhaps Laura and the boys have arrived chasing Holly on one of Her Cons, and of course while Laura opts to stay in Port Charles because Her family DOES need her to stay put. Lucky and Ethan of course would only be in PC temporarily, and finally Luke could exit the canvas to go off working in the WSB with His Sons and old Friends, or on some type of intrigue of scheme with Holly and Helena. Michael this would be a great type of giant umbrella storyline drawing from the GH history and large crop on Iconic Characters, who would future brief stints and reasons for appearing in town at any time and as part of any type of potential storylines that Ron Carlivati and crew want to do.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).
On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.
Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC
HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT
Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”
Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”
Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Photo: ABC
DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES
In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”
Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”
You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.
Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.
General Hospital
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.
However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.
Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC
FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG
Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!
Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”
MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL
Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).
Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI
PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY
Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”
It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”
A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons
IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS
As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”
He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”
Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.”
So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.
Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.
Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Photo: ABC
WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON
Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”
Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC
Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”
When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC
MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES
One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”
“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good. I was working with Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.
A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?
As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.
You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.
Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.
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