Part two of Maurice Benard’s (Sonny, General Hospital) State of Mind interview with Genie Francis (Laura Collins) is officially out.
The installment dropped on YouTube on Sunday, November 23, and this time Francis is joined by her real life husband, Jonathan Frakes. The two have been together for forty years.
They opened up about what has kept their relationship solid for four decades. Francis also went deep on her struggles with social anxiety and more. Let’s dive in.
Genie Francis Talks 40 Years of Love
Frakes wasted no time pointing out, “We’ve been together since Genie’s 23rd birthday.”
Benard was clearly fascinated by their love story and wanted to know the secret to keeping things going for so long. When the talk turned to the pandemic era, the couple admitted that it actually made their bond stronger. “We were around a family,” Frakes explained.
“Somebody would go to the store. We go back. We’d cook. We worked in the garden. We’d hang out. We’d play cards. We played Scrabble. We play Rummy Cube…” and Genie chimed in with, “We like family time.”
Social Anxiety
Francis then shared what social anxiety looks like for her. Even planning a simple social event can send her into panic, stress, and actual physical illness.
Frakes said it took him a while to fully understand how rough it was, but once he did, he started going to social events on his own more often. That small shift made a huge difference in their relationship.
Benard and Francis also talked about the importance of being open with their kids about mental health and how they both worked to break old generational patterns. And yes, they’re totally excited about the idea of being grandparents someday. They didn’t even try to hide it.
Genie’s First Boyfriend
Francis touched on her relationship with Kin Shriner, who not only played her first love on General Hospital, Scott Baldwin, but was her first boyfriend in real life. She called him a “great boyfriend” who took care of her and still remembers her birthday all these years later.
She shared memories of working with Patrick Swayze, while Frakes threw in a few stories from his time in the Star Trek universe.
One fan asked about the infamous Luke and Laura storyline, specifically the rape aspect, and Francis answered honestly.
“As a kid, I was following directions and doing what I was supposed to do,” she said.
She remembered how careful Tony Geary was with her. “He treated me like I was a little delicate doll. He was so gentle with me because I think I was underage. I think I was only 17 at the time.”
She explained that what viewers saw was simply the two dancing and then dropping out of frame. “That’s all it was.”
Francis added there was no actual violence filmed and that no one expected the storyline to blow up the way it did or for fans to want that couple together later. Looking back now, she says, “I won’t defend it.”
Watch Genie Francis and Jonathan Frakes below!
Photo: Maurice’s YouTube.
Key Takeaways
- Genie Francis joined her husband Jonathan Frakes in an interview about their 40-year relationship.
- Francis discussed her struggles with social anxiety and how Frakes’ understanding of this improved their relationship.
- Francis reflected on her first boyfriend Kin Shriner and their time together on General Hospital.
- She addressed the controversial Luke and Laura storyline.
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