Exclusive preview: General Hospital star Genie Francis remembers the late Patrick Swayze on State of Mind with Maurice Benard

General Hospital star Genie Francis continues her sit-down interview with Maurice Benard on his State of Mind YouTube talk show on Sunday, November 23. On this latest installment of a two-part interview, Francis recalls the late Patrick Swayze, her co-star in the acclaimed mini-series North and South.

General Hospital star Genie Francis remembers Patrick Swayze

Click here to see an exclusive clip of Francis talking about Swazye. The actress, who has played Laura on GH since 1977, remembers the late Dirty Dancing star's kindness and how that helped shape her both on and off camera. "Second to that scene that you did with me the other day, which is by far the best scene I've ever done in my career, and I could not have done it without you..." Francis told Benard.

"Prior to that one," the actress continues, "I thought the best scene I ever did was with Patrick Swayze in North and South, where he's sitting there drinking, and he plays my older brother [Orry], and I [Brett] go to him and I say, 'What's wrong with you?' And he smacks [Brett] in the face, and she turns on him and says, 'That's it. I'm out of here.' And that, for me, was really on my reel for a very long time.

"But outside of that, he's just, he was the salt of the Earth," Francis added. "He was such a kind, loving man. And he assumed, sort of, a role of big brother in my life when we were shooting. You know, just the best kind of person. So sad that he was taken from us so early, from pancreatic cancer." (Swayze passed away in 2009.)

"Took my brother," Jonathan Frakes, Francis's husband, who also appeared in North and South as Stanley Hazard, says.

"And my dad," adds Benard. The actor's father, Humberto Morales, passed away in 2021.

Working with Maurice

Genie Francis, Jonathan Frakes, and Maurice Benard of General Hospital sat down for State of Mind | Image: State of Mind

It's quite possible that the scene that Francis was referring to with Maurice Benard in this article aired on General Hospital on Friday, November 21. Laura was in hysterics after finding the body of Professor Henry Dalton (Daniel Goddard) in the trunk of her car. Realizing she had had a heated fight with Dalton in front of witnesses earlier in the week, Laura realized she needed help in case authorities jumped to conclusions and thought the worst of the newly re-elected mayor of Port Charles. Kevin (Jon Lindstrom), her husband, was overseas, and trusted attorney Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) didn't pick up the phone.

Laura reached out to Sonny, and he drove out to the side of the road where Laura's car was. His timely arrival gave Laura the break she needed as Det. Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) had come upon the scene and was close to discovering Dalton's body in Laura's trunk.