how old is laura from general hospital
Geary said "I let out a deep breath and relaxed. When Luke and Laura didn't show up for their wedding the next day, Lesley guessed that they had eloped. On January 22, 2018, Francis was dropped to recurring status, which led to backlash from the fans, urging EP Frank Valentini to put her back on contract. [68] In story, the pregnancy encourages Laura to appeal to Luke's mob friend Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) about keeping Luke and their family safe from Frank Smith (Mitchell Ryan) whom is about to break out of prisonwith Sonny and Luke's help of course. Helena stole Valentin's sperm and fertilized the eggs she stole when she kidnapped Lulu in 2013 to create Charlotte. She ponders the question for awhile and is unhappy when Luke found out about it when Lulu blurts it out at Thanksgiving dinner. [14][19], On May 29, 2015, Entertainment Weekly reported that Francis would once again make a return to the series, beginning June 5. Laura grew hysterical again and as Luke was calming her, Scott and Mac Scorpio showed up. Stated by Lulu again on November 9, 2012 Everyone on the island with Jason and Sam were exposed. Lulu is kidnapped. General Hospital icon Genie Francis, known to fans as Laura Vining Webber Baldwin Spencer and now Collins, has been married to Jonathan Frakes since 1988. "Does Laura want them to see her in jail? They were rescued by a helicopter just before their whole raft went over a waterfall. Luke and Laura once again lit the spark that they always knew that they had in a dance outside Nikolas and Gia's engagement party. Laura Wright lost both her parents, father Rector Sisk, and mother, Betty Risk, in 2018 within 2 months of each other. Laura feels that Kevin has betrayed her trust. Luke and Laura were underdogs she was bounced from home to home, he was poor and from the wrong side of the tracks. "She's lost it before. While they had done it before, living on the run would be much more complicated with two children. She explained "I did this for fans. When he leaves Luke and Laura alone in the room, they declare their love for one another. The couple have a daughter, Lesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer, named after Laura's mother Lesley, on August 8th, 1994. Murphy also described Laura as "conniving, and often bittersweet. Genie briefly returned from November 14, 1983 to December 27, 1983 and once again from November 9, 1984 to December 10, 1984. They awake in bed together and gather that they were transported to the Cassadine Island. A little while later, Helena comes in with her goons and takes them out on the deck of the boat, at gun point, to once again try and kill Laura but instead Luke tells her to kill him and she decides that Laura should pull the trigger. [34] On November 29, 2021, it was confirmed that Francis (along with Michael E. Knight) will be back on-screen sometime in December. [23] She is now on contract. [2] Jason, a teacher, struggles to make ends meet to take care of his family. Laura stays behind for a little while learning that her son, Nikolas, is hiding the truth about Jason Morgan being alive, and he is Jake Doe. Carlivati also made it clear he wanted Francis to remain with the series and would welcome to opportunity to write for her once again, stating: "I love having Genie. "[42], In a 1983 interview with Soap Opera Digest, after Luke and Laura had been written to fall in love, Francis described the incident as a "seduction rape." Although devastated, she expressed a wish for a small wedding when they returned to Port Charles. "[70] Laura's desperation facilitates the reintroduction of the Cassadine family who become quite the threat to Luke and Laura's family. Annoyed, Laura returned to Port Charles. On November 21, 2018 Laura walks in on "Kevin" and Ava kissing in her art gallery. [11][29] The new show runner's first order of business was to attract younger viewers by putting the teenage Francis' Laura front and center. I knew we'd be OK." Geary also developed the couples' return story with his writing partner Irene Suver. Laura is about to tell Patrick and Sam McCall that Jake Doe is really Jason Morgan, but she decides not to after she learns that Patrick and Sam are engaged. When the actress took over the role in 1977, both the character and she herself hit the big time! Nurse Hilda Price 27 episodes, 1972-1973. [47] In September 1981, Francis called a press conference to officially announce her departure from the series by the end of the year. Laura is relieved to hear from Robert Scorpio that Luke is alive and well. Laura has a nervous breakdown when Lucky is "killed" in a fire and leaves town to recover. Laura and Stefan's relationship is very rocky. While coherent, Laura voluntarily checked herself back into Shadybrook the year prior to her most recent relapse and signed paperwork originating from the French clinic the drug hailed from, which for legal reasons expressly forbade her doctors at Shadybrook from alerting Laura's family to any LS-49-related changes in her condition. But when she pulled the blanket down, she discovered that he had run off! Laura was shocked to learn that Felicia and Luke had slept together the night Stefan disappeared and she tries to drown her pain in alcohol. With the identity of the nurse revealed, Luke tried tracking the nurse down but she seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. She got away and managed to call Nikolas to rescue her from Luke before Luke got her back again. [28] At some point, art imitated life and Francis and Shriner dated for nearly a year. In 2013, in honor of the show's 50th anniversary celebration, Francis reprised the role of Laura when the writers revisited the iconic Ice Princess plot, and Laura was briefly remarried to Scott. [34] Scotty was Laura's first kiss, and Shriner was Francis's first kiss. 1974-84, 1993-2002, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015-present. Laura's longtime nemesis, Helena Cassadine, dies in November 2015 after Nikolas poisoned her with a cup of tea. [45] The episode was the highest-rated hour in soap opera history. They agree it is time to put the past to rest but they can't stay out of each other's minds. They rush Nikolas to the hospital where Laura waits with Luke to see if he will make it. [41] Francis characterized the incident as "an acquaintance rape" because it was "by someone Laura knew and had been fascinated with. In the summer of 1976, Cameron pays the Vinings to leave town with Laura for good.[4]. Next, they encounter a gun-wielding Holly Sutton who informs them that now Ethan is missing. Although the doctor didn't want Luke to see Laura again, he insisted on saying good-bye to her. However, they eventually settled on about "six weeks of air time." While ABC offered Francis a role on Dynasty, CBS offered Francis a more lucrative contract for starring roles in films and the lead in a potential prime time drama. [25] Despite Luke's recent marriage to heiress, Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot), everyone agrees to help Laura and Luke celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a ceremony. On November 2, 2018, the head of Mary Pat Ingles is found at Lauras campaign event to become mayor. When Helena was finally captured, she lied to protect Nikolas' involvement in helping her. Four months later, the then 14-year-old Francis booked the role of Laura, when the character was rapidly aged into a teenager. When she and Luke finally begin moving on, she has to testify on Stefan's behalf when he is put on trial for murdering his fiance Katherine Bell. In 1993, Laura was re-introduced by producer Wendy Riche, along with Luke and their young son Lucky Spencer (Jonathan Jackson). Before Laura slipped back into her catatonic state, she told Lulu that she didn't believe that she had killed Rick Webber. [42], In 1979, the character was described by Soap Opera Digest's Joanne Douglas as "scheming, self-centered" and "frequently tormented." After a long hesitation, her agent pushed her to make a decision. When Laura's doctors confirm that her condition has not changed, Nikolas and Lucky realize Lulu is getting worse. Francis said, "The first year was a tremendous learning process, but then I got hold of it and took it on my own." They are shocked when Lulu refuses to go home and claims Stavros as her husband. The chemistry between Tony and Genie is still magical, and the audience will still respond to the unconditional love between the characters because that kind of emotional bond is a rarityin soaps and in life." On July 14, 2022, it was revealed that Laura will temporarily be leaving as Francis will be going on her summer vacation. "[15] In a 1996 interview with Soap Opera Update, Francis said that the David Hamilton storyline "really did drive the character and make her who she was." On July 31, 2018, Soap Opera Digest confirmed that Francis would be returning to GH. Laura is one half of "Luke and Laura," one of the most well-known couples in soap opera history. It very much appears they can." She continued echoing Pat Smith's own words that "It came to a point where it was beyond her control, and she couldn't get away from it." On April 26, GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Laura Wright (Carly) and Wes Ramsey (Peter) celebrated a very special anniversary! When Laura realized what had happened, she flew like a bat out of hell to Texas to rescue Luke from the shotgun wedding. She always wanted to do the right thing, but sometimes she couldn't. "She told my parents, My idea is to use your daughter to capture this young audience. I was absolutely champing at the bit to prove myself as an actress, so I welcomed the opportunity with a lot of gusto. Her contentious relationship with Cyrus remains after discovering they are siblings, but she expresses a desire to get to know Martin better. Though Laura's actions are not always noble, Francis explained that Laura's intentions are always pure, and she does not intend to hurt anyone. [18] Upon her character's return in 1983, Francis said Laura is "more sophisticated" and "more mature. Of her character's return in 1983, Francis said "She's been through a lot. Luke was determined to win the mother of his children back, and Laura suspected that he always had something up his sleeve. At the hospital, Scott questioned Laura and he secretly taped her confessing to killing Rick. On June 5, 2015, Laura returns by interrupting Luke and Tracy's engagement party. However, Francis claimed that she did not plan on attending school full-time. Sonny agrees to financially back Laura if his wife Carly Corinthos could be co-partner. Four months later, the then 14-year-old Francis booked the role of Laura. Sick of her son's obsession, Helena reveals that Luke is alive and allows Laura to escape. After discussing Elizabeth's complicated love life, Laura returns to The Haunted Star, encountering a bewildered Luke. Kevin and Laura decide to start by looking at the Campus Disco; while visiting the Campus Disco, Kevin and Laura learn that the Campus Disco is now owned by Lloyd and Lucy Johnson, her and Luke's aliases when they went on the run from Frank Smith. Laura returned to General Hospital on August 25, 2008, at a time when Lulu needed her most. They are devastated when the judge awards Valentin, and his new wife Nina Reeves, full custody of Charlotte. Laura leaves town again with her mother and daughter for the summer. The character was written out in the summer of 1976. On Valentine's Day, Luke and Laura share a brief reunion. Then I started asking questions. Dante frees Lulu and Laura traps Stavros in the cryogenic chamber he held Lulu in. Later that year, Laura's mother Lesley appears to die in a car accident (later revealed to be arranged by the Cassadine family). [8][9] Francis signed a three-year contract with the series and a later admitted that she felt a bit trapped. Luke, after finding out at Shadybrook that Scott has kidnapped Laura, catches up with Scott and Laura in California. The next day Ryan comes back to them so that he can get the divorce papers signed so that he can marry Ava. The duo later teams up again to stop Mikkos Cassadine (John Colicos) from freezing the world. Scott and Laura's happiness is short lived and she reunites with Luke. The actress said "I was very nervous at the beginning, but when I learned to relax, I got better." The key opened to an old box in the Wyndemere attic, and Laura and Lulu found Scotty Baldwin's old law school book. He takes Laura to a secret bedroom to reclaim her as his wife. Laura eventually goes to Paris, France to stay at the clinic that administers the LS-49 treatment. After being led on a wild goose chase by Helena, they finally find Lucky and bring him home. She formed a close bond with her onscreen son Jonathan Jackson. The young actress also had study 30 to 50 pages of dialogue daily. Luke also didn't mention that Luke had taken Laura to a remote barn where he had bound and gagged Laura. She is also reunited with Stefan (Stephen Nichols) which puts a strain on the marriage when Luke is falsely led to believe that Nikolas is Stefan's son, and that Laura tried to reclaim him in 1984 which led to Lesley's "murder" at the hands of Helena (Constance Towers); however, it is revealed that Helena faked Lesley's death. Nurse Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Genie Francis returned to General Hospital in 2022 to continue portraying the role of Laura Spencer.. Laura is known as one of Port Charles' most iconic residents and battled the Cassadines to become the city's new mayor, all while coping with her marriage to Luke Spencer and triumphing over allegations of murder. [5][6][7] He then called Scotty to help him with the body. The couple's 1993 return coincides with the introduction of their son, Lucky (Jonathan Jackson). Luke proclaimed his innocence at first, but when Scott played him the tape of Laura's confession, Luke changed to proclaiming his guilt in Rick's murder. Although Laura forgives him, the rape ignites a lifelong feud between Luke and Scott. Mary Murphy of TV Guide described the character as a confused teenager, struggling "to love and be loved." Laura is also the paternal half-sister of attorney Martin Grey and drug kingpin Cyrus Renault. Barbara Jean redirects here; for other uses of the name, see Barbara Jean (disambiguation). let's go make history."THIS WEEK ON #GH. After deciding that a bomb that had exploded in their truck was meant for them, Luke and Laura made the decision to return to Port Charles. Fearing for her life, she grabbed the first object she could find, a heavy candlestick, and hit him over the head, killing Rick. Luke was forced to tell Laura that she was slipping back into her catatonic state. She started having blackouts which increased in length and frequency. [60], Despite her claims that she was open to a return in 1992,[46] when she was officially approached about a GH return in May 1992, Francis declined the offer. Instead, they find Helena on board, but alone. Soap Opera Update reported that "ABC has so much invested in this whodunit that the show is reportedly secretly taping 20 scenes to be inserted in shows at the last minute so that neither the actors nor the crew can leak pivotal plot information to the press. In a shocking move, General Hospital has killed. "I left the show in that heartbeat," Francis said. She is best known for her roles as Ally Rescott on Loving and The City from 1995 to 1997, and Cassie Layne Winslow on Guiding Light from 1997 to 2005. That certainly describes how General Hospital's Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) . The chances of Laura Wright leaving General Hospital are slim to none. "[28], In the summer of 1977, Kin Shriner was cast in the role of Scott "Scotty" Baldwin to play opposite Francis's Laura. However, the producers were soon contacted by actress Elizabeth Taylor who was a fan of the show and had read about the storyline decision. She's coming out of quite an ordeal." In 1983, it is revealed that Laura is being held by Mikkos and Helena's son, Stavros (John Martinuzzi), who has convinced Laura that Luke is dead. As Laura began to remember more about what happened in the garage attic, she also realized that Scotty knew what had happened but wouldn't tell her. "[27] Francis stated that she appreciated how the writers transitioned Laura from being a girl to a young woman; as she gets older, Laura becomes a fighter and displays a lot of strength. "[54], Francis herself suggested a storyline for her potential return that featured Laura's onscreen death; however that never panned out. [23] On July 31, 2018, TV Insider announced that Francis would be returning as a series regular. This leads them to another old enemy of Luke's, the still very much alive Frank Smith, now paralyzed as a result of Luke's gun battle with him 22 years before. "[53] In May 1993, during the 20th Daytime Emmy Awards, the official announcement was made; Francis would return and Geary would reprise the role of Luke. When Luke finally called Lucky, he didn't mention Laura, which worried the boys even more. Laura wants to postpone her wedding to Scott until Lulu regains her memories but after a kiss with Luke, Laura realizes she needs to move on. Knowing the truth, Laura told Nik that he broke her heart. Rick and Scotty buried Theresa in the backyard to protect Laura from being charged and convicted of murder. Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, "Today in Soap Opera History (January 1)", "Frank Plans To Divorce Nancy; Mac Moves Back With Rachel", "Laura From "General Hospital" Tracking the Character Played by Genie Francis", "World Turns In Melinda Patterson's Favor", "Genie Francis tells of life after 'Hospital', "Former Soap Star Genie Francis Enjoys Being Out Of 'Hospital", "Luke Lost Laura to Prime Time, but Now Genie Francis Returns for a General Hospital Reunion", "She's back! Laura initially tries to avoid Luke, but they continue to end up together when they both start working at ELQ. Mayor Laura Collins is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. However, she is actually being held captive by the Cassadines. Genie had made another obligation before she returned to us, one that meant there were several weeks during the summer where she wasn't available to us." "I felt it was time to go back" Francis said. Smith penned the controversial rape storyline in which a drunken Luke rapes Laura on the floor of the campus disco in October 1979. Laura would move in with Rick and Lesley when they married. Though Luke and Laura seem unshakable, "this is doing it" Geary said.[72]. In 1997, Stefan threatens to reveal Nikolas' paternity to Luke. Scott finds the letter and punches Luke just before his wedding to Jennifer Smith. Laura runs off with Lulu and Lesley, returning with Lulu a year later. Lesley's determination to make contact with Laura puts a strain on her marriage. Laura (Stacey Baldwin) hopes for a new typewriter for Christmas in 1975, but Barbara has to tell her 'no' because they can't afford it. No one told me what to do. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Clinton, MD, Laura Wright was hit by the acting bug in the eighth grade. She never had dreamed of being in the position that she is in today or being a mob boss' wife for that matter. [51] The writers set up a "mysterious disappearance" for Laura with the network claiming it was due to Francis leaving for college. Laura then moves into Wyndemere. Scott kidnaps Laura, taking her to California to relive their honeymoon in hopes of rekindling their relationship. While trying to clear her name, Laura discovers that Stefan knew Helena had faked Lucky's death and she breaks up with him. In October 2006, Laura wakes up thanks to the efforts of Patrick Drake and Robin Scorpio (Jason Thompson and Kimberly McCullough) and shares a tearful reunion with Luke, Nikolas, Lucky (Greg Vaughan) and Lulu. [56] Francis had several motivations for returning to the series. "It was a very small part" Francis said of the character when she initially booked the role of Laura. Held hostage at gunpoint (along with Holly, Held hostage at gunpoint and almost killed (along with Luke) by Frank Smith and his men [Jul 3-6, 2015], Held hostage at gunpoint in a room of people on Cassadine Island by, Held at gunpoint and almost killed by Valentin [Jul 22, 2016], Was exposed to malaria (the test confirmed that she didn't have it) [revealed Aug 9, 2016, Poisoned and kidnapped by Rudge, under the orders of, Held hostage by Ryan in the basement of Ferncliff, along with, Attacked and held hostage by Ryan in a cabin rigged with explosives (along with, Held hostage at gunpoint by Cassandra (along with Curtis) and was ordered to tie herself to him [Sep 17, 2019], Had a gunshot fired in her direction by Cassandra as Curtis went to disarm her [Sep 17, 2019], Indirectly threatened by Cyrus [May 7, 2020], Had her arm grabbed by Cyrus [Jan 8, 2021], Threatened by Cyrus for a fourth time [May 19, 2021], Blackmailed by Cyrus into letting him remain a free man or else he'll make sure that neither one of them makes it out of the hostage situation alive [Jun 3-4, 2021], Threatened by Cyrus if Curtis did not drop his gun [Jun 4, 2021], Threatened by Cyrus once again before his departure to prison [Jun 10, 2021], Targeted (along with Martin) by Victor [Aug 20, 2021-Jan 4, 2022; revealed on Dec 20, 2021; Victor called off the hit on Jan 4, 2022], Nearly killed by a woman posing as a maid under Victor's orders [Dec 8-9, 2021; revealed on Dec 20, 2021], Held at gunpoint (along with Valentin) by Victor's henchman Mattis [Nov 1, 2022; saved by Kevin]. When Carly's car drove off a cliff, Luke and Laura rallied around Carly's mother Bobbie Spencer to comfort her. On November 10, the Spencer children find their parents safe at the cabin. They wed on November 16, 1981, with 30 million viewers tuning in. Laura accepts his apology, and they start seeing each other. Carly is anything but easy to deal with, and gives Laura many headaches. Nikolas gained control of Laura's medical care from Lucky and hid Laura from Luke to protect her. If the couple's desire to get out from under Smith's constant threats weren't evident before, they are obvious and crucial when Laura learns she is pregnant. [15] Francis auditioned for the role of Laura twice and beat out 40 other actresses for the part. Instead of dwelling on what would happen, Laura focused her energy on creating memories. According to Francis, "in Laura's fantasy world, she would stay married to Luke, he would accept [Nikolas]," the brothers would get along and "Stefan would drop by the house for dinner." Francis said of her eagerness to work opposite Geary again "I have never, ever, had an acting partnership that was as safe, as full, and as exciting as the one I had with Tony. Helena had Scotty Baldwin represent her last will and testimony, and Laura was surprised to find out that she was included in her will. Luke and Laura take off on a helicopter to attempt to locate the Haunted Star where they believe Lulu is being held. Eventually, Nik and Luke made peace regarding Laura. [4] Baldwin last appeared as Laura in August 1976. Rick denied it but he refused to tell her what happened and instead slowly approached her with a syringe. ", "Networks battling for services of 'General Hospital's' Laura", "Luke and Laura Return To Rekindle Their Sizzling Love", "Lucci loses as Laura, Luke announce return", "Return of Luke and Laura has 'General Hospital' fans in intensive care", "Two Daytime Stars Have Great Expectations", "Daytime actress Tamblyn may fill Dad's shoes yet", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laura_Spencer_(General_Hospital)&oldid=1146323657, Fictional characters with neurological or psychological disorders, Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Mayor of Port Charles (2019present), receptionist, model, businesswoman, This page was last edited on 24 March 2023, at 05:01. However, "Laura's world has been shattered. [33] Plans for the Luke/Laura/Scotty triangle to continue had to be scrapped when Kin Shriner left the show in 1980. Realizing that Laura was in deep trouble, Luke tried to get her out of the attic but Laura was not cooperative. Francis auditioned for the role of Laura twice and beat out 40 other actresses for the part. He explained to her that she was tied up because she kept trying to run from him even though he was protecting her. Scott then comes to take her home. She has one sibling, brother . Laura Wright is an American actress. "It's hard to shut her off" Francis said of the character in 1979. [1] Luke is portrayed by Anthony Geary, and Laura is portrayed by Genie Francis. Laura finally gets to meet Ethan and the two hit it off and decide that the three of them should work together to find Lulu but before that happens they get locked in the room. Soon after, a fire was set in the attic. "We don't need to We've already done it" the actress stated. Luke is managing the campus disco for mobster Frank Smith, who orders Luke to kill a local senator. "Laura is different and the storyline is very different" Francis explained. Laura is the daughter of medical professor, Gordon Grey and his former student, Lesley Williams. It's tough to think of ABC's long-running daytime drama General Hospital without Genie Francis the actress started playing Laura Collins (formerly Laura Spencer) in 1977 and, of course . In 1996, Lulu is diagnosed with aplastic anemia and requires a bone marrow donor. In 1981, after five years on General Hospital (1963), Ms. Francis left the show and returned, briefly, two years later and again in 1984 and, finally, on October 29, 1993. Laura, originally played by Stacey Baldwin, was introduced in 1974 as the illegitimate daughter of Lesley Webber ( Denise Alexander ). Scott tells Laura the truth about her last wedding to Luke and they run off to California. "There was no light at the end of the tunnel." Their impending nuptials are derailed when Lulu is kidnapped by a very much alive Stavros Cassadine. As Laura began to plan her wedding, she asked Felicia Scorpio-Jones to help her find her old wedding dress. On September 6, 2002, an orderly wheeled Laura out of her room as Luke tearfully told her, "good-bye, my angel, good-bye." Francis returned to the series again in 2008 to help Lulu, who had also been institutionalized. [61] Geary who had actually returned to the series in 1991 in the role of Luke's cousin Bill Eckert said "Basically, I didn't want to do Luke without Laura. Dustin Cushman. ", "BREAKING NEWS: Anthony Geary QUITS General Hospital! Just as Luke starts to recover, Laura and Nikolas go to confront Helena in her underground lab. "I signed away three years of my life. Scotty demands to Luke that he will not be present at the wedding and Nikolas offers Wyndemere for the wedding. However, the scribe said of their return "Now they're coming home againand in that context it's much less terrifying for us all. The past comes back to haunt them when Lulu and husband Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) reveal that someone sent Lulu a replica of the original Ice Princess diamond. Their story said, if you love each other enough, you can overcome all the odds and you will be the prince and princess. On December 6, 2018, "Kevin" serves Laura with their divorce papers and she asks Alexis to represent her. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! However, the duo became wildly popular in spite of the origins of their relationship. Never again" she said. Luke and Laura Spencer are fictional characters, and the signature supercouple from the American daytime drama General Hospital. [36] Francis and Shriner became quite close during their onscreen romance. Francis further explained that Laura stayed even though she "felt the element of danger." Lesley follows her to a park and Laura is captivated when they meet. She further explained her inexperience. Luke managed to bargain a last visit with Laura. Despite having the best attorney money can buy thanks to the wealthy Edward Quartermaine (John Ingle), Laura is indicted and sent to prison. Lulu promises that she and Dante will bring Rocco to see her soon. However, she doesn't really have Lucky and because of the amount of wine both consumed, they don't spend the night together. Luke's recent bride, Tracy Quartermaine ( Jane Elliot) revealed to his soul mate on the show, Laura ( Gene Francis ), that the character died in a cable car accident in Austria. [12] Francis signed a three-year contract with the series and a later admitted that she felt a bit trapped. Fortunately she is acquitted when her lawyer, Justus Ward (Joseph C. Phillips) confesses. [13] Upon her character's return in 1983, Francis said Laura is "more sophisticated" and "more mature. Luke later leaves Port Charles for good. [15] At the time, the series was facing cancellation and ABC brought on Gloria Monty as executive producer to save it. When Scott threatens to avenge Logan murder, Laura wakes up to defend her daughter. While in California, Laura continues to tell Scott that she has come along with him only so he will not prosecute Lulu. Back in Port Charles, Luke and Laura tearfully reunited with friends and family. Scotty and his best friend Bryan Phillips found her there and brought her home, where Laura finally confessed to the crime. They eventually end up on Cassadine Island where they confront Stavros. But to everyone's relief, Carly turned up alive. [53] But in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television, Francis said her 1982 departure occurred because she was in the throes of a drug problem that lasted a year.