Genie Francis Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!
Fans were upset when she left back in August, but now Genie Francis (Laura) is returning to GENERAL HOSPITAL just in time for the holidays! “Well, it’s the perfect time to come back, isn’t it? Christmas” she told entertainment reporter George Pennacchio in a special ABC7 Los Angeles report from the soap’s set.
While no official air date for her first episode back has been revealed, viewers can expect to see both Francis and Michael E. Knight (Martin) back on screen in early December. The brother and sister spent the summer in Witness Protection hiding from the threats of their sibling, Cyrus Renault. But now it seems like it’s safe enough for them to come home to Port Charles.
And fans aren’t the only ones happy to have the daytime legend back on GH. “She’s like my kind-of grandma on the show,” admitted William Lipton (Cameron). “So it’s always so sweet to get some affection from the amazing Genie Francis.” And her other TV grandson felt the same. “She’s really, really, amazing to work with,” praised Nicholas Chavez (Spencer). “Yeah, she just beams whenever you see her.” And Avery Kristen Pohl (Esme) called her “super welcoming and amazing to learn from, as well.”
Francis debuted on GH back in 1977 when she took over the role of Laura Webber from Stacey Baldwin, and became a soap star as Laura’s romances with Scotty and Luke became popular supercouples. However, the actress found herself unable to recall just how many Christmasses she’d celebrated in Port Charles!
“Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed. “Well, you know, I started here when I was about 14. I haven’t been here for that whole time, obviously, but… a lot. I’ve been very fortunate to share a lot of my life with a lot of these people here.”
You can check out Pennacchio’s report in the video clip below, and be sure to stay tuned to GH to watch Francis — and Knight — make their return to the soap and see what drama ensues!
