General Hospital

Before They Were Soap Stars: GH’s Genie Francis – Goes Bad

Published by
Alina Adams

Many hardcore General Hospital fans don’t realize that Genie Francis was actually a Laura Webber recast. Previous to her joining the cast in 1976, the role was played by a pre-teen actress named Stacy Baldwin.

Genie Francis — How We Got Here

Dr. Lesley Williams Faulkner (Denise Alexander) learned that the daughter she’d had with her professor, Gordon Grey (father of Cyrus Renault and Martin Grey), who Lesley thought died at birth had actually been switched with the deceased newborn of the Vining family (parents of Laura Collins’s faux sister, Amy).

Lesley wanted Laura back, the Vinings didn’t want to let her go. Laura spent some time with Lesley, but when she got sick, she called for her “mother,” Barbara. As the adults kept fighting, and the confused child, frustrated by the back and forth, ran away from home to join a cult.

New You

By the time Lesley tracked her down and forced the teen to come home, Laura had gone from the sweet young girl who just wanted to grow strawberries on the porch, to an angry and resentful young woman. GH needed a tough, defensive girl with an attitude to take on the part. So they turned to…Genie Francis.

Those who only know Laura as the steadfast mayor, the loyal wife, or, even before, the damsel in distress whom upstanding young law student Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner) rescued and swept off to New York – you, boys and girls, before the Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura phenomenon, the big summer youth love story was Laura and Scotty – would be shocked to see her dark side.

Practice Makes Perfect

Before she took on the on-and-off 40-year run as Laura, Genie Francis made her television debut on the primetime series, Family. Though she filmed it before starting on GH, it aired after the fact.

Francis played Alice Dennison, a skateboarder chick who was going to be the star of the playground and hold onto her boyfriend, T.J. Latimer (a pre-Eight Is Enough and Charles in Charge Willie Aames) – if only she could get that pesky Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence (Kristy McNichol) out of her way. Watch her make like Helena Cassadine and lay on some threats, here.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

Load more...
Share
Published by
Alina Adams
Tags: Anthony Geary General Hospital Genie Francis

Recent Posts

  • News & Rumors

Chad Duell Exits General Hospital As Michael, Leaving Fans In Shock

Chad Duell has announced his departure from General Hospital after many years on the show,… Read More

4 hours ago
  • news

Critic’s Review Hits and Misses: Week of November 18-22

The week's biggest hits and misses on all four soaps, DAYS, Y&R, GH, and B&B. Read More

10 hours ago
  • Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers

Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers November 25: Ridge Rages Over Brooke’s Reveal

Carter's betrayal burns. Read More

10 hours ago
  • Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers

Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers Weekly Update November 25-29: Ridge’s Fury & Electra’s Truth

Tune in to find out about the drama happening in Los Angeles. Read More

20 hours ago
  • Days of Our Lives Spoilers

Days of our Lives Spoilers Weekly Update: Cursed Cupcakes And Sarah’s Miracle

Things went from sweet to sour real fast for the Body & Soul cast. Read More

20 hours ago
  • The Young and The Restless Spoilers

Young and the Restless Spoilers Weekly Update November 25-29: Diane’s Confession & Adam’s Choice

Tune in to find out about the drama happening in Genoa City. Read More

21 hours ago