What To Know
- Genie Francis received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Daytime Emmys.
- Her husband, Jonathan Frakes, revealed in his speech that her GH son, Jonathan Jackson had a message for her.
- Jackson plays Laura and Luke’s son, Lucky Spencer.
Soap opera icon Genie Francis received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Daytime Emmys. Her longtime husband, Jonathan Frakes, took the stage to present her with the honor and gave a moving speech about the love of his life.
During his speech, Frakes revealed that he had a message from the General Hospital star’s onscreen son, Jonathan Jackson, who plays Laura and Luke Spencer’s (Anthony Geary) son, Lucky. Frakes read Jackson’s message aloud to the room, and Francis was visibly emotional as she listened to Jackson’s words.
“I was 11 years old when I started working with Genie,” his message began. “She was radiant with a beautiful smile and a laugh that shot through the atmosphere. Genie taught me so much. She’s the most emotionally present actor or actress that I’ve ever worked with. She’s always prepared, carrying with her a host of insights and observations of the human soul, and yet, somehow, she maintains the openness and vulnerability of a child. It was mesmerizing to witness as a young artist, and it still is to this day. You can throw anything at her, the most difficult or outrageous scene or story, and somehow she’ll make it brilliant.”
Craig Sjodin / ABC / Everett Collection
The message continued, “On a personal note, Genie was like a mother to me. She protected me as an artist, as a young boy, and she was a mama bear who kept the wolves at bay. He says, ‘I’m thankful to God every day that I was placed in her care at such a young age.’ Congratulations on a well-deserved honor.” Frakes then added that Jackson said he loves Francis “very much.”
During a montage celebrating her career, Jackson had another surprise for Francis. He, along with more of her costars from years past, sent in a video to congratulate Francis on her Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It is so well deserved. Your dedication, your graciousness, your humility, and love is incredible. And I just can’t thank you enough for who you are. And I’m so happy for you,” Jackson said.
When Jackson returned to Port Charles as Lucky in 2024, he told TV Insider that working with Francis was a “big personal incentive to come back, because when I was there in 2010, 2011, Genie wasn’t on the show and I always kind of felt like I missed out on working with her as an adult.”
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC