How to celebrate a beloved daytime drama turning 60?General Hospitalstar Genie Francis is stumped. “I just want it to be fabulous and wonderful and inclusive — get it the love it deserves,” she tells PEOPLE. “How many shows make 60 years?” she adds. “It’s so special.”
General Hospitaldebuted in the spring of 1963 and Francis, who joined as a teen in 1977, is one of many reasons that millions of fans have tuned into the ABC soap opera for — we did the math — more than 15,000 episodes and counting.
Francis has another way to measure the show’s longevity — the number of surnames her much-married character has taken. “You ready for this? Are you recording? Because you need to,” she teases before taking a breath and reciting, “Laura Vining Faulkner Webber Baldwin Spencer Cassadine Spencer Collins Webber Collins!”
Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) on ABC’s “General Hospital,” 1981.ABC Photo Archives
Inside are exclusive interviews, the show’s top memorable moments and behind-the-scenes secrets, including the story behind the bowl of moss in the the Corinthos kitchen that became an unlikelyinternet sensation.
The issue also revisits the series' greatest guest stars (superfanChandra Wilsonhas had three different roles) andGHalumni including a pre-Star WarsMark Hamilland pre-SuitsMeghan Markle. The future Duchess of Sussex played a nurse named Jill in a 2002 episode when she was a Northwestern student and her father,Thomas, was a lighting director on the show.
Francis, 60, was one half of daytime’s first break-out couple along withAnthony Geary(Luke). They became so popular thatElizabeth Taylorhad her people callGH’s people to request a invitation to their 1981 wedding. The Hollywood legend filmed five episodes in the role of Helena Cassadine, who puts a curse on the newlyweds. Francis recalled those heady days when even people who didn’t watch soaps (or said they didn’t) obsessed over Luke and Laura.
“I didn’t understand how big it all was. I was a kid! I had such a tiny little life, from my bedroom to the studio to school and back to my bedroom to learn my lines,” she tells PEOPLE.
ABC/Ricky Middlesworth
These days, says the actress, the fandom has calmed to where she feels that “everywhere I go I have friends.”
For more from theGeneral Hospitalcast and creators, pick up PEOPLE’s new special editionGeneral Hospital: Celebrating 60 Years of Love & Drama, available now wherever magazines are sold.
source: people.com
