‘General Hospital’ spoilers have some very good news to impart for Genie Francis (Laura Webber). The acclaimed actress who portrays Laura Spencer celebrates 42 years since she first starred on GH. It all began in 1977; Genie Francis was a young actress who appeared on General Hospital as Laura. As a young actress, many people fell in love with her character and soon, she would show the world of soap operas that she wasn’t going anywhere. Here’s what you need to know.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Genie Francis Celebrates 42 Years Since First GH Appearance
It was a good thing for General Hospital, because at that time, many of the younger watchers were losing interest in the show. There were many rumors at that time that the show was to be cancelled because the number of watchers had dropped tremendously. That is when the creators of the show decided to give Laura a more prevalent role in the show. They believed that if she was front and center, they would get more of the younger fans to watch the daytime show. They were right too! General Hospital got more and more popular with younger watchers because they wanted to see just what was going to happen with Laura.
WATCH: Shiloh asks Sam the million dollar question. #GH55@kellymonaco1 #CobyRyanMcLaughlin pic.twitter.com/pAbj7eKDZE
— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) February 9, 2019
Many fans of General Hospital really loved the moment when Laura met Luke. This was the super couple of the ages! Fans feel in love with their romance, their relationship, and of course, their wedding. Luke was supposed to be a character that only made a few, short appearances on the show. In fact, Luke was supposed to be killed off on the show, but after the ratings showed the fans were falling for the Luke and Laura relationship, the creators decided that instead of killing him off, they would make the relationship blossom. Luke and Laura married on General Hospital in 1981 and 30 million peopled tuned in which made this the highest rated hour of soap history! Way to go Laura.
In 2002, Laura goes through some terrible times, facing her involvement in two deaths. She goes off the deep end. Luke has her committed to an asylum because she is no longer fit for society. She eventually goes into a comatose state and fans were incredibly let down when this happens. Fast forward to 2006, Laura is back! She wakes up from her state and is very confused and surprised about what year it is and how much time has passed. She starts learning about Luke and what has been happening with their children. She finally returns to Port Charles.
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When we look back on Genie’s role on General Hospital, we can see just how much people love her character. The ratings placed 30 million people watching the wedding of Luke and Laura. Clearly, people loved the storyline and fell in love with her. She is so proud to have been a character that people love to watch. Francis is very grateful for all of the fans of the show and has said that the role of Laura is one that she is incredibly proud of.