What To Know
- Genie Francis opened up about her relationship with the late Jacklyn Zeman, who played Bobbie Spencer.
- Zeman died in 2023 from cancer at the age of 70.
- Francis fondly remembered other costars, including Tristan Rogers and Leslie Charleson.
General Hospital icon Genie Francis has played Port Charles’ beloved Laura for decades and has worked with countless members of the ABC soap family. Francis sat down for an honest conversation with fellow GH star Maurice Benard about her decades-long tenure on the show.
As the actress reflected on costars she’s had to say goodbye to, Francis opened up about the early days of her relationship with costar Jacklyn Zeman, who played her sister-in-law, Bobbie Spencer. Looking back, Francis wished she’d established a stronger connection with Zeman, who died in 2023 at the age of 70.
“I loved her so much,” Francis told Benard on his State of Mind podcast. “I was so afraid when she asked me to go out for lunch or to do something.” She put Zeman “on a pedestal” and looked at her like a “cool big sister.”
She continued, “I wanted to be like her. And that social anxiety, it was so, I yearned to be close to Jackie, but it was also, my thing [social anxiety] came up, and I was scared. And at some point, she stopped asking. And that’s my thing. Missed opportunity.”
Francis also gushed over the “delightful” Tristan Rogers, who played Robert Scorpio. The actor died in August 2025 due to complications from cancer. “Brighter than where he landed. He deserved to land in the movies,” she said about her longtime costar. She called Leslie Charleson, aka Monica Quartermaine, a “sweet” and “warm” person.
General Hospital recently honored Charleson with Monica’s farewell storyline, which introduced viewers to Monica’s sister, Ronnie, played by soap legend Erika Slezak. The soap plans to pay tribute to Rogers as well.
The actress also spoke about the late Tyler Christopher, who played her onscreen son Nikolas Cassadine. She called Christopher a “beautiful angel” who was “not equipped to live in this world.” She then added, “He couldn’t live in this dirty place.” Christopher died in October 2023 at 50 from positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication.
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC