One of the most surprising things that can happen in life, is to meet someone you like or admire. So surprise was not the word I would use to describe how I felt when I heard General Hospital was coming to my town to film. Shocked is what it should be called. Then finding out that they were filming the return of Luke and Laura, and that Genie Francis and Tony Geary would be here, in my town, shooting for 4 days, was enough to send me into heart failure. My sister was the first to tell me, since she read it first. After 10 minutes of telling her to stop kidding me, I finally found my paper and there it was. The FACT that GH, GF and TG would be filming from Sunday to Wednesday. The paper even had the days and times and where they would be shooting the scenes. Could you ask for a better guide? I don't think so.
The first day, Sunday, plans were set to go where they would be. We arrived at Browns Square early in the day. At this place, there were 30 or more people. Mostly women. Though my dear husband came with me. Secretly, I think he was excited as I was, almost.
We were walking around the whole square. It is a beautiful place in Rochester and this would be where they would shoot the docks and Kelly's place. A sign saying Kelly's and signs saying what the specials were for the day, which of course, had Ruby's chili, were in plain sight. Just those few things made me crazy. Many of the people left because we heard that there would be no taping that day. Ha ha on them. The word came around that the cast and crew were at one of the hotels that was just down the street. It is amazing how fast you make friends of strangers. Me and my new friends hopped in their car and drove down to the hotel. My husband followed at a slower pace then us crazy people. The hotel, in the parking lot, were full of trailers. Here was our opportunity to search, find and conquer. In order for you to understand how I acted through this whole week, let me say, shy and afraid, I am NOT! So I was in the search mode. Then I got into the found mode. I found Genie Francis in one of the trailers in curlers, getting her make-up on.
Genie is a beautiful and very petite woman. Sparkling eyes with great fresh, clean skin. So I had searched, and found Genie, now was the time to conquer. As I walked into the trailer with my camera, pen and paper, she very sweetly and nicely, asked me to wait until she was presentable. Which I honored? So much for conquering. LOL And when Genie did come out, she looked stunning. She gave me a very nice autograph and smiled for pictures. Unfortunately, the pictures I got of her are not very good.
After leaving Genie's trailer, I was walking around searching (again) and who should I find but Tony Geary.
Again, time to conquer. And fortunately this time I was successful. Tony is very charismatic, happy, sweet, wonderful, good looking, tall, beautiful eyes, with a smile that melts your heart, funny and outgoing man. Getting his autograph and picture would have been more than enough for me, but for Tony it wasn't.
He wanted to know how I found out they were there and how I felt about L&L, etc. Excitingly I told him I had always and forever loved L&L and Genie and Tony. We started talking about the character of Bill Eckert. While, I liked Bill in the beginning, at this time Bill was not being a nice person, in which I told Tony. He said that he loved playing Bill and that Bill was not a bad character, just misunderstood. Then we reminisced about Luke and Laura in the 80's. Talked about how they were coming back in the 90's. My impression of Tony Geary is that he is one great hunk of a man. And if you EVER get the chance to meet this man.........DO IT!!! Tony is one of those people that you meet and never forget. There are so many wonderful things I could say about Tony, but I better leave it at this, since it would be just repetitive on how great he is. But then again, he is great.
Tony was talking to everyone (can you believe that other girls wanted to talk and get his autograph and picture, what nerve LOL). Soon after, Genie came out of her trailer and Tony went right over to her, and Genie went straight to Tony. They took each other's hand and went into the hotel for a press conference.
As I went to follow them, some security people stopped me and said it was only for the press. Remember I told you I was shy, but did I tell you I am sneaky. I actually told these security people that I WAS PART OF THE PRESS. I almost had them convinced, but when I could show no ID (even though I told them I had it at home), they turned me away. How Rude! As we walked out of the hotel, there was a blond haired, cute little boy walking with a woman, who turned out to be his mom. For some reason, psychic or whatever, I knew that this boy was going to be special. Nothing was going to stop me from talking to him and asking him questions, even his mother. As I approached him, he saw me coming (as did his mother). My first question was "Are you going to be playing Luke and Laura's son?" He was confused by that, but did say he was going to be on GH, playing a character named Lucky. His next sentence makes me laugh even today. Jonathan said, "I will be playing Genie and Tony's son."
What is funny about that is that he did not know that playing Genie and Tony's son meant he was Luke and Laura's son. He didn't know that fact yet. Obviously, I told him what was what. Before asking for autographs and pictures, I pointed out his remarkable features and how he was perfect to be playing the part of Lucky. He seemed genuinely happy about that. And the ironic part is that I said to him, "You are going to be a BIG star someday, I just know it." I must be psychic. LOL Anyway, he stood for pictures and gave autographs. For the life of me, I cannot tell you why I was generous enough to take a picture of him with a lady I had just met, and not have a picture taken with him myself. Sometimes I am just too nice (tic).
Jonathan said that he was going to be shooting scenes over at Browns Square (GH's docks and Kelly's place). Stupid me, did not follow him there. I stayed at the hotel to wait for Genie and Tony to come out. They didn't come out, or I didn't see them. But later heard that they also were at the Browns Square for pictures. In fact there is a famous picture of the 3 of them in that location. Sometimes, you could just kick yourself.
Kathy
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