Inside the Enduring Romance of General Hospital’s Genie Francis and Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes

General Hospital spoilers reveal Genie Francis, who plays Laura Collins, and Jonathan Frakes, Star Trek The Next Generation’s Will Riker, have been married for thirty-seven years.

And they’re happier than ever-they spoke to Woman’s World magazine about their storybook romance.

The Soap Star And The Sci Fi Star Talk About Their Relationship

Genie Francis has been a major soap opera star for almost 50 years-she started as Laura on General Hospital in 1977 at just 14. Living in Port Charles most of her life, her character married Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) in 1981, making them the first supercouple of daytime TV.

Their wedding episode is the most viewed in soap history; although Luke and Laura divorced, they are still significant in General Hospital’s history.

Now 63, Francis is still a key part of the show, with nearly 2,000 episodes to her name. Offscreen, she is in a different kind of supercouple, married to Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, since 1988.

The Couple Married In 1988

Read on to discover more about this soap star and Star Trek couple and the sweet things they’ve said about each other over the years. After the popular wedding of Luke and Laura, Genie Francis starred in the soap opera Bare Essence in 1982.

The show was short but important for her, as Jonathan Frakes was a co-star. They didn’t date during Bare Essence because Frakes, who is 10 years older, thought she was too young. They reunited in the 1985 miniseries North and South; Francis and Frakes began dating in 1985 and got married in 1988.

Frakes Talked About The Couple’s Early Days

Reflecting on their early days, Frakes shared with People in 2023, “We were filming in Charleston and Natchez, and we fell in love—somehow, she wasn’t too young for me.

We’ve been together since our first date on North and South during a Memorial Day break in New Orleans 38 years ago.” At that time, Francis was the bigger star, and he joked, “She took a chance on me, as I was number 37 on the call sheet for North and South, while she was with Patrick Swayze and Lesley-Anne Down.

Why she chose me is a mystery!” On the North and South set, both Francis and Frakes shared their crushes on each other with their co-star, Kirstie Alley, who encouraged them to date.

The Couple Have Stayed Together Through Thick And Thin

Years later, Francis fondly remembered, “I saw Jonathan again, and I fell in love; it felt like we had never met before. It was strange… I remember the first time I held his hand, and I knew I was going to stay there.”

Genie Francis and Jonathan Frakes have been joyfully married for 37 years and have two kids: James, who is now a fisherman and conservationist, and Eliza, who is now a playwright.

The couple has faced their share of difficulties over the years, especially when Francis struggled with addiction in the ’80s. However, Frakes stood by her side through it all, and their relationship continues to be refreshingly grounded.

Francis Shared Her Secret To A Long-Lasting Marriage

In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Francis shared her secret to a long-lasting marriage. “The only thing I can tell you is what my grandmother told me: ‘To stay married a long time, you have to be willing to have a couple of really bad years. And you may have to have them more than once;'” this means finding ways to navigate the challenges with your partner.

Marriage is about committing to work through difficulties. This advice has clearly benefited the couple, as they mentioned in a recent joint interview with General Hospital’s Maurice Benard that their marriage is “better than ever.”

Francis Shared About How Frakes Supports Her

Francis also opened up about how Frakes supports her in dealing with anxiety and depression. She stated, “We take care of each other,” and noting that the most loving thing he does is stay by her side when she feels down.

Frakes remarked, “We have one brain,” highlighting their strong support for one another, even though he is more outgoing and she tends to be more reserved. More than 40 years after they first met, the stars of General Hospital and Star Trek: The Next Generation remain a true power couple.

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