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Beloved soap actress Genie Francis was once almost designated to a recurring role status in General Hospital, prompting fans to start petitions to bring her back. In 2018, Franci’s agent told Entertainment Weekly that the ABC network had refused to extend Francis’ contract for another year but had left open the possibility of having her return. Francis, who has been part of the show for over four decades, refused to return without a compelling storyline. The news of Francis’ departure over recurring role status sparked a fan frenzy.
Genie Francis has played Laura off and on since 1977. Francis and Anthony Geary, as Luke Spencer, formed an on-screen couple that left an indelible mark in soap history. In 2013, Francis made her first return to General Hospital after leaving for The Young and the Restless. In 2015, she walked through the gates of Port Charles again as Geary was making his Soap exit. She had remained a series regular for three years before the network declined to renew her contract.
Shortly after, more than 20,000 fans of General Hospital signed a petition to reinstate Genie Francis as a series regular. At the time, her agent, Arthur Toretzky, said, “She did not want to leave the show as a series regular. It was not her choice to leave.”
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