Genie Francis Talks Emmys & Young Hollywood

“General Hospital’s” Luke and Laura had their original moment in the sun at their wedding, 26 years ago. Now, with her win at the Daytime Emmys, Genie Francis is shining once again.

It has been a long, hard road back for this former fallen teen star and she’s got a few words of warning for the young women following in her footsteps.

“I worry an awful lot about these young women that I see,” Francis told Access Hollywood.

“My heart breaks. I’d like to get that little Lindsay Lohan and rock her. You know she’s not a grown up yet. She’s still a little girl.”

The words come from one who knows all too well. Genie Francis was only 14 years old when she started on “General Hospital” in 1976, skyrocketing almost immediately to mega-stardom as half of America’s favorite couple, Luke and Laura. And just as in Lindsay’s case, early fame had its pitfalls.

“We have so many similarities in our story,” Francis says. “I thinkI was lucky. You know that God pulled me through.”

Both Genie and Lindsay have struggled with drugs and alcohol as well as weight issues, which Genie says were an obsession.

“I never felt that I had a good figure even when I was at my thinnest. Even when I was 114 pounds I didn’t feel right,” she sighed. “I think women are given this unfair standard of a body type which you know some of have naturally and some of us don’t but you know we all strive to make ourselves look like this perfect female.”

Now, at 45, Genie is healthy and strong. This season she returned to GH for a month-long stint that earned her a Daytime Emmy and she’s dropped 20 pounds. This time, it’s for the right reasons.

“I don’t think it’s an obsession today, no. I’m losing this weight right now because this is for me,” she said.

Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More

Lindsay Lohan & Brother Dakota Lohan Gush Over Working With Each Other On 'Irish Wish'