General Hospital News Update: Genie Francis Talks Laura V. Cyrus

There have been a lot of baddies on General Hospital over the years. The latest meanie to walk the streets of Port Charles is Cyrus Renault — and he’s fit in quite nicely with the show, according to one veteran cast member — namely Genie Francis.

Genie Francis On Laura’s New Adventure

“He’s just fantastic,” Francis (Laura) recently told TV Insider about Cyrus’s portrayer, Jeff Kober. “What’s amazing about [Jeff] is that he’s fantastic in one take. He doesn’t come from the soap opera world. Actors who haven’t done a lot of work on a soap can sometimes be very intimidated based on how fast we do things.

“Jeff has just fit right in. He’s a lovely human [and plays] such a scary [character]. I love his choices and the secret things that he plays. He’s a wonderful actor and we’re lucky to have him.”

As mayor of Port Charles, Laura has found herself coming face to face with the mob boss. Is that more than she signed up for when she ran for political office? Nah. Veteran GH viewers recall mobster Frank Smith (the late George Gaynes), who ran the mob in Port Charles back in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

In fact, Laura and Luke (Anthony Geary) first went on the run in the summer of 1980 to get away from Frank Smith, so battling the mob is nothing new to her. “I think [Laura] has so much history with the mob and she’s been tormented by that,” Francis muses.

“It’s taken so much from her life and damaged it. It’s almost like she has nothing else to lose. If she does one thing before she dies, she’s going to stand up to it. She feels she’s going to stand up and fight. It’s been loads of fun.

“I’m lucky I have Jeff to work with,” adds Francis. “I’m also really grateful that the writers are doing this story. This all falls into the history of the character. It brings us right back to a real Laura.” General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Check local listings for air times.