Veteran soap actress Genie Francis has portrayed one-half of soap history’s most beloved couple, Laura, on General Hospital for over five decades. Francis debuted on General Hospital as Laura back in 1977 and created the most famous couple in soap opera history opposite Anthony Geary’s Luke Spencer. Francis, who exited the soap in 1982, reprised the role in 1983 and 1984 before returning full-time in 1993.
However, a few years later, Genie Francis quit General Hospital again in 2002 because she felt unappreciated by the show’s creators. Shortly after, in a shocking TV Guide interview, she revealed she quit General Hospital over a bitter dispute with her soap bosses over alleged preferential treatment of her co-star Anthony Geary.
Francis told the publication she felt “invisible” on the show and was denied some time off by the soap brass, who had imposed 120 days’ notice to get a six-week vacation. Francis said her co-star Geary had no stipulation in his contract and felt she was being treated differently than her co-star.
Francis said, “I fought all along to have equality with my partner, Tony, and they don’t impose that on him for his vacations, but they do impose it on me.”
Francis continued that when she threatened to walk out of the show, the show bosses didn’t take her “seriously enough”, noting, “I think perhaps she thought I was crying wolf.”
Referencing her resignation from the show, Genie Francis said, “I have to do something to make it seem more official because they’re not taking me seriously here.”
Francis alleged she was forced to complete her shots despite handing in her resignation and noted, “I felt like I had nothing to give. I felt sort of beaten down.”
After quitting General Hospital in 2002, Genie Francis did not return until 2006. Francis was invited again to reprise her role in 2008 and 2013 before going back on contract in 2015.
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