Remembering a Television Legend

Daytime TV lost a giant when Anthony Geary, the man behind Luke Spencer on General Hospital, died Sunday at 78. To fans, he was an icon. To Genie Francis—his longtime scene partner and friend—he was so much more. They spent nearly four decades creating unforgettable moments together, both on and off the screen.

Talking with ABC News, Francis really let her guard down. She talked about Geary’s wild energy, their instant spark, and just how much he changed her life. At 63, she still credits him as one of the biggest influences on her career—and honestly, on who she is as a person.

The Making of Television Magic: Luke and Laura’s Journey

Nobody at General Hospital could’ve predicted what would happen when producer Gloria Monty paired Genie Francis and Anthony Geary as Luke and Laura. Monty had big dreams for the show, and Francis remembers that excitement. 

“Gloria Monty always said that we were going to change the face of daytime,” Francis said. “And we were doing that. We were so excited. We didn’t want to leave when we were released. We’d sometimes sit on the stage and just talk about what we had done.”

From the very first scene, the chemistry just worked. Francis and Geary played a wild, rebellious couple, and it shook up daytime TV in a way nobody had seen before. Their characters didn’t just save General Hospital—they turned it into a pop culture phenomenon. People couldn’t look away.


Behind the Scenes: A Real Connection

Off camera, Genie Francis remembers Anthony Geary as warm, sensitive, and just hilarious. She was still really young when they started working together, and Geary—quite a bit older—looked out for her. He stepped into that protective role right away, especially as they navigated those wild, groundbreaking storylines.

“Tony was a very warm person, very sensitive person, and incredibly funny,” Francis told ABC News. “I was very, very young and Tony was very protective of me. But we knew we were doing something very edgy.”

That mix of his mentorship and their shared vision for the show created a bond that stuck with them for decades. Geary genuinely cared about Francis, guiding her as she grew as an actress, and together, they made TV history.


The Wedding That Stopped the Nation

Back in 1981, when Luke and Laura finally tied the knot on General Hospital, about 30 million people tuned in. That’s not just big for a soap opera—it’s massive, even by today’s standards. The wedding wasn’t just an episode; it was an event. Suddenly, everyone was talking about Luke and Laura, even people who’d never watched a soap in their lives.

People were so glued to their screens that water use in major cities actually dropped during the broadcast. Nobody wanted to miss a second. The couple’s wedding became a moment everyone seemed to share, right there in their living rooms.


Recognition and Awards

The critics noticed, too. Both Francis and Geary took home Daytime Emmy Awards for their roles—solid proof of just how good they were. Fans already knew they were watching something special, and the awards just sealed it.

Behind the Scenes: The Lightning in a Bottle Moment

Anthony Geary Looks Back

In a 2013 chat with Good Morning America, Anthony Geary opened up about just how wild their success really was. You could hear the wonder in his voice—he knew they’d caught lightning in a bottle.

“There are all kinds of successes but ours was different in that it was truly lightning in a bottle,” Geary said. “It was the most unexpected place, a soap opera, which was about to be canceled, that took everyone’s interest and swept the nation. It’s a piece of history that I’m glad I took part in.”

You get the sense that Geary never took any of it for granted. The show was teetering on the edge of cancellation, and then the Luke and Laura storyline changed everything. Suddenly, General Hospital was a must-watch for millions.


How It Changed General Hospital

Luke and Laura didn’t just save the show—they gave it a whole new life. Because of their story, General Hospital stuck around for decades and became one of TV’s longest-running dramas. That spark Geary and Francis brought in those early years? It kept the show thriving for generations.

The Next Generation Remembers Anthony Geary

Cameron Mathison Pays Tribute to His Idol

Even the younger actors at General Hospital felt Anthony Geary’s impact. Cameron Mathison, who’s on the current cast, talked about how much he admired Geary and how the guy left his mark on the show.

“The Luke and Laura days… they were huge. They were massive celebrities. They could barely walk outside,” Mathison said. “He was just a very, very sweet man, so kind, always encouraging, but he had this confidence about him—something kind of magical.”

You can tell from Mathison’s words that Geary’s influence didn’t stop when he left the set. He inspired the next wave of actors. People still look up to him for his professionalism, warmth, and that effortless spark he brought. That’s the standard everyone’s chasing at General Hospital, even now.

Genie Francis’s Goodbye: Grateful, Heartbroken, and Remembering Tony Geary

When Anthony Geary died, Genie Francis felt something huge shift. She didn’t hide how much it hurt. “I’m just heartbroken. I’m so sad,” she said. “But again, I am so lucky that I got to have this man as my first leading man. He ruined me. He ruined me for leading men for the rest of my life basically. Because I started with the best.” You could just hear the mix of pain and gratitude in her voice. She knew she’d started her career with someone truly special—someone who set the bar sky-high for everyone who came after.

That’s the thing about their partnership. Genie and Tony lit up daytime TV together. Their chemistry on General Hospital wasn’t just legendary—it changed the way people wrote and watched soap operas. Other actors, other writers, they all paid attention. Their scenes together showed what was possible when two people really connected on screen.


Tony’s gone now, but he’s not forgotten. His work with Genie lives on in all those episodes, in the awards, in the memories of everyone who tuned in. For Genie, the loss is personal. She’s missing her friend and mentor, the guy who looked out for her, made her laugh, and helped her become the actress she is. For fans and TV history, he’s one of the greats—someone who left television a little better than he found it.

Luke and Laura weren’t just a TV couple—they became a cultural phenomenon. Genie Francis and Anthony Geary didn’t just act; they made magic every time they shared the screen. For nearly four decades, their partnership gave us unforgettable scenes, earned awards, and set the bar for on-screen chemistry. Honestly, it’s hard to think of another duo that even comes close.

Now, as Genie Francis says goodbye to her longtime friend, fans everywhere look back on what they built together. Anthony Geary’s death really feels like the end of an era. But the mark he left on television, his co-stars, and everyone who watched him isn’t going anywhere. For Francis, working with Geary changed everything. She often said he “ruined her for leading men”—nobody else ever matched his talent or the energy he brought. And she’ll always be grateful for that.