Luke And Laura
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Luke and Laura Spencer are fictional characters, and the signature
supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...
from the American daytime drama ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
''.
Luke Luke may refer to: People and fictional characters * Luke (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Luke (surname), including a list of people with the name * Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luk ...
is portrayed by
Anthony Geary Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is a retired American actor. Geary is best known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978, and went on to earn a record eight Day ...
, and Laura is portrayed by
Genie Francis Genie Francis (born May 26, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Laura Spencer (General Hospital), Laura Spencer on the television soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1977 to present, for which she won a Daytim ...
. Though other supercouples came before them, Luke and Laura are the best known outside of the soap opera medium and are credited with defining the term ''supercouple'' and leading other soap operas to try to duplicate their success. Despite having been
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
d by a drunken Luke, Laura falls in love with him. Originally, critics of the soap opera genre panned the choice of having a rape victim fall in love with her rapist, an example of
forced seduction Forced seduction is a theme (narrative), theme found frequently in Western literature (mainly romance novels and soap operas) wherein man-on-woman rape eventually turns into a genuine love affair. In one source, forced seduction is summarized ...
. The unlikely pairing became popular in spite of Luke's past misdeed when the story shifted to focus on love and redemption. The couple wed at the end of the hour-long show which aired on November 16 and 17, 1981; the event was watched by 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. Viewers watched as the show followed their marriage through two decades and gave them two children. Today, their union still has a presence in fictional town
Port Charles ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes p ...
. In 1996, ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' included the wedding of Luke and Laura as part of its "100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History," ranking it number 35. On Internet message boards, the couple is often referred to as "L&L" or "LnL" (for Luke and Laura).


Writing


General

In 1978, ''General Hospital'' was close to cancellation owing to low viewership. At that time, they were ranked lowest in the
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. To save the show, ABC executive Jackie Smith hired Gloria Monty as the show's executive producer and Douglas Marland as head writer.Simon, p. 136-7 Monty wanted to attract a youth-based audience as a way of garnering higher ratings. To do this, she and Marland brought troubled teenager Laura Vining (Genie Francis) to the forefront of the series. The character went from appearing a couple of times a week to having fifty pages of script a day. "Gloria put sex and romance into Laura's life," Francis said, "and it bowled me over. Here I was doing things in front of 20 million people that I had never done in my life." Her early stories included killing her older lover, David Hamilton, for cheating on her with her mother and a popular romance with Scott "Scotty" Baldwin. In response, ''General Hospital''s ratings rose as younger viewers began watching for Laura. Teenagers connected with her because she was their age and experienced some of the same problems they did, yet also lived "the life of a 28 year old".
Anthony Geary Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is a retired American actor. Geary is best known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978, and went on to earn a record eight Day ...
joined the cast in 1978 in what was meant to be a 13-week stint as
Luke Spencer Luke Spencer is a fictional character in the American television soap opera ''General Hospital'', played by Anthony Geary from 1978 until his departure in July 2015. Geary holds the record for most Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actor ...
. His sister,
Bobbie Spencer Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap ''One Life to Live''. Zeman went on ...
, brought him to town to help her break up Laura's relationship with Scotty. By the end of Geary's contract, Luke was supposed to be killed off. Like Laura, Luke appealed to teenage viewers because of his "edgy volatility." Since viewers expressed interest in Luke and Laura, the writers decided to have Luke die in Laura's arms, after which she would reunite with Scotty. Owing to the positive viewer response, the story moved towards a romance between Luke and Laura.


Rape

Pat Falken Smith Pat Falken Smith (January 21, 1926 – May 19, 2001) was a television writer, best known for her being head writer of several soap operas, including ''General Hospital'' and ''Days of Our Lives''. Positions held ''Where the Heart Is (America ...
replaced Marland as head writer of ''General Hospital'' in 1979 since he wanted to go slower with Luke and Laura's story than Monty had. Smith wrote a controversial rape storyline between Luke and Laura. To prepare for the story, Geary and Francis both met with a
social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
before taping the rape scenes. Originally intended to be a brutal attack, Monty re-
choreographed Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer creates choreographies thr ...
the scene's blocking in order for the encounter to come off as a seduction. She also took strong language and violence out of the scenes. ''General Hospital's'' music director at the time,
Jill Farren Phelps Jill Farren Phelps (born July 7, 1950) is an American television producer. She is known for her work with American soap operas, having served as executive producer of '' Santa Barbara'', '' Another World'', ''Guiding Light'', ''One Life to Live' ...
, chose to use the song "Rise", written by Randy "Badazz" Alpert and Andy Armer, performed by trumpeter
Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...
during the rape scene and ensuing scenes that recalled the rape. "Every time Laura thought of the terrible rape by Luke, it was played to evoke that memory," Phelps said. "Consequently, we used it constantly for a while. Then we turned the story around so that he was no longer the rapist and that was no longer the appropriate piece of music." The song already ranked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but the exposure "Rise" gained from appearing on ''General Hospital'' helped bring it to number one. After the story aired in October 1979, it was looked back on as a rape and Laura was shown getting rape counseling. However, the writers decided to have the characters look back on the incident as a seduction instead of a rape because the pairing resonated with the audience. "From that point on, we played uke'sregret and his total devastation," Geary said. The rape was revisited in 1998 when Luke and Laura's son, Lucky, finds out about the incident.Nochimson, p. 361 This time, the writers scripted it as rape instead of a seduction. Lucky struggled to come to terms with the revelation while Luke and Laura dealt with the unresolved issues surrounding the rape. In a 2000 interview with ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional ...
'', Geary said, for the taping of the scenes, "Alan Pultz, who had directed the rape originally, used his original notes and directed me that day to recall all of that. I was able to finally put out what I think is Luke's definitive statement: that it was rape, it was ugly, he'd probably never recover." He added, "I was grateful that the directors and the writers were interested in what Luke's experience was and didn't try to spin it for audience control."


Adventure plots

After the rape storyline, the focus of ''General Hospital'' began to center on Luke and Laura's romance. Before, the show revolved around hospital stories, including
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
,
obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...
,
mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
s, and
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
. Luke and Laura's adventure based plots took the show away from the hospital. In 1980, the couple spent the summer on the run, an "unprecedented" type of storyline at the time. Monty imbued that plot with elements of
Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...
's 1934 film ''
It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite ( Claudette Colbert) tr ...
'' and the 1941
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
film '' The Maltese Falcon''. She later used '' Dr. No'' and
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
as the inspiration for their plot to stop Mikkos Cassadine from taking over the world. As the show became laden with "comic-book fantasies," ratings remained high, but the viewer demographics became younger. In a 2008 interview with ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional ...
'',
Kin Shriner Kin Herbert Shriner (born December 6, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Scott Baldwin on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off, ''Port Charles''. Early life Shriner and his twin brother, actor Wi ...
(Scott Baldwin) said Monty planned to continue the Scotty, Laura, and Luke triangle for a longer period, but his 1980 departure forced a story change. He returned to the show a year later. Former head writer Thom Racina intended to hold off the couple's marriage and allow them to be separated by Scotty for six more months.
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
called ''General Hospital's'' studio after reading about the wedding's being postponed in a soap opera magazine. She made a deal to appear on the series if Luke and Laura married. Taylor appeared in five episodes as Helena Cassadine, the widow of Mikkos Cassadine, whom Luke and Laura killed. Luke and Laura's wedding, which aired on November 16 and 17, 1981, achieved the highest ratings in the history of daytime television. Shortly after the wedding aired, Francis left the show, taking a portion of the audience with her. To hold onto the younger viewers, the show began focusing more on "action-adventure" and less on "complex characterizations and psychological drama". Francis returned briefly in 1983 to facilitate Geary's exit. Both actors returned in 1984 to reprise their roles for six weeks. ABC brought them back hoping to raise ''General Hospital's'' ratings. Their return story involved a location shoot in
Cuernavaca Cuernavaca (; , "near the woods" , Otomi language, Otomi: ) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state, state of Morelos in Mexico. Along with Chalcatzingo, it is likely one of the origins of the Mesoamerica, Mesoamerican civilizatio ...
,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and an adventure involving Holly Sutton and Robert Scorpio. The story aired from late October through early December 1984, after which the actors departed again and did not return until the 1990s.


Later years

Monty, who left the series in 1986, returned in 1991 with the hope she would again raise the ratings of the show. She brought Geary back to ''General Hospital'' that same year as Luke's
look-alike A look-alike, or double, is a person who bears a strong physical resemblance to another person, excluding cases like twins and other instances of Family resemblance (anthropology), family resemblance. Some look-alikes have been notable individua ...
cousin, Bill Eckert. The actor had refused to return to the show as Luke without Laura. The unpopularity of the Bill Eckert character led to ABC's firing Monty, killing off Bill, and bringing Luke and Laura back, played by Geary and Francis. Upon their return, the actors took more control of the writing for their characters. Geary, along with a writer friend, Irene Suver, developed the story for Luke and Laura's return. Geary's contract allowed him to rewrite his dialogue at his discretion. Francis and Geary were also known for fighting over story direction with executive producer Wendy Riche and the show's writers. The departure of head writer
Richard Culliton Richard Culliton is an American television writer known for his work on soap operas. He has won four Writers Guild of America Awards, including one as a head writer, and three Daytime Emmy Awards. He is an alumnus of Northwestern University. His w ...
days after a tense meeting with Geary caused rumors to circulate that the actor threatened to quit if Culliton were not fired. "The meeting did not go well, but I made no ultimatums and there was certainly no violence," Geary said. "I really don't know if I had anything to do with his departure, but I wouldn't shed any tears if I did." Francis supported Geary in what they considered to be standing up for the "integrity" of their characters and protecting the "Spencer franchise." "Sometimes people think we're difficult because of that, but we're only difficult because we want to live up to the high standards we've set," Francis said. "I actually like it when Tony gets out of line... He can go to horrid places I can't."


Storylines


Luke, Laura, and Scotty (1978–1980)

Teenaged Laura begins dating
Scott Baldwin Scott "Scotty" Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its now-defunct spinoff ''Port Charles''. The character debuted played by child actors in the 1960s until Kin Shriner assumed the role in 1977. Sc ...
(
Kin Shriner Kin Herbert Shriner (born December 6, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Scott Baldwin on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off, ''Port Charles''. Early life Shriner and his twin brother, actor Wi ...
) (known as "Scotty" at this point of the storyline). Then Laura is seduced by the much older David Hamilton, in a plot to get revenge on her mother
Lesley Webber Lesley Webber is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', that is an American soap opera on the ABC network. Actress Denise Alexander portrayed the role from March 13, 1973, through February 28, 1984, as a series regular, and from 1996 t ...
(
Denise Alexander Denise Alexander (November 11, 1939 – March 5, 2025) was an American actress best known for her role as Lesley Webber on ''General Hospital'', a role she originally played from 1973 to 1984 (contract), 1996 to 2009, and a guest stint in 2013 ...
). Scotty breaks up with Laura and begins an affair with former prostitute, now nurse,
Bobbie Spencer Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap ''One Life to Live''. Zeman went on ...
( Jackie Zeman). When Laura discovers the truth about David, she accidentally kills him. She is put on probation for David's death, eventually rekindles her relationship with Scotty, and they get engaged. Bobbie, in love with Scotty, gets her brother,
Luke Spencer Luke Spencer is a fictional character in the American television soap opera ''General Hospital'', played by Anthony Geary from 1978 until his departure in July 2015. Geary holds the record for most Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actor ...
, to help her break up the couple. Bobbie makes it look like she and Scotty have slept together when Scotty gets drunk. Laura discovers this and ends up injured in a car accident. Luke, who has developed feelings for Laura, convinces Bobbie to drop her vendetta. Bobbie eventually moves on to a romance with Luke's best friend, Roy DiLucca (then Asher Brauner). In July 1979, Scotty and Laura marry. He begins law school while she begins working at the Campus Disco, which is managed by Luke. She becomes attracted to Luke as he flirts with her, but shows no outward interest in him. Luke is involved with mobster Frank Smith (then
George Gaynes George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Dutch-American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to a Dutch father and a Russian mother in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...
), who orders him to kill anti-mafia senatorial candidate
Mitch Williams Mitchell Steven Williams (born November 17, 1964), nicknamed "Wild Thing", is an American former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 to 1997. He was also a studio analyst for the MLB Network from 20 ...
on election night. Distraught over his unrequited love for Laura and the fact he could likely die during the assassination attempt, Luke vows to hold her in his arms before he dies. As the
Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...
song " Rise" plays, Luke rapes Laura on the floor of the disco. Conflicted, she admits to being raped, but does not name Luke as her attacker. On election night, she throws his car keys away to keep him from killing Mitch. Roy does the hit and apparently dies in Bobbie's arms after being shot by Mitch's security detail. Frank, furious at Luke, demands he marry Frank's daughter,
Jennifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer *Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and televisi ...
(then played by Lisa Marie). To get out of this marriage, Luke orders Laura to tell Scotty he raped her. She refuses and gets jealous when she observes Luke flirting with Jennifer. Scotty tells Laura she has to quit her job at the disco. On her last night, she shares a romantic kiss with Luke. Horrified, she slaps him. Later she accidentally gets locked in his office, overhearing Luke and Frank discussing mob business. When Frank discovers her, he forces her to continue to work at the disco. She tells Luke not to marry Jennifer. He traps Laura on a sailboat and forces her to admit she wants him just as much as he wants her. When she does so, he releases her from his arms and tells her to go tell the authorities how it was rape, as he believes it wasn't. She refuses. He realizes he is in too deep with the mob to ever be with Laura. She writes him a letter expressing her feelings, trying to break the bond between them, which Scotty finds on the day of Luke and Jennifer's wedding. Scotty interrupts the ceremony on Frank's yacht and knocks Luke overboard, leading everyone to believe he is dead. Later, in the scuffle around the yacht, Laura is walking by and Luke grabs her ankle from the water. She helps him get away and they decide to be on the run. He stole Frank's encoded black book, which holds the details of his criminal dealings. They could be free of the mob and be together if they could decode the book, so they flee Port Charles as Frank's men pursue them. While on the run, Luke and Laura dance at Wyndham's Department Store before ending up in the rural town of Beecher's Corners. They pose as newlyweds Lloyd and Lucy Johnson and are able to evade Frank's men, Jefferson "Hutch" Smith Hutchinson, and Sally Armitage (who it was revealed was really Max Hedges, in drag). Eventually, Luke and Laura find enough evidence to have Frank arrested. They celebrate by making love. On their return to Port Charles, the press bombards them. Still traumatized from the press attention she endured after David's death, Laura declares she still considers herself Scott's wife. A heartbroken Luke rejects her after hearing that.


Ice Princess saga (1981–1984)

While Laura attempts to find Scotty, who has fled to Mexico, she continues to pursue Luke and moves into the same apartment building as him. Meanwhile, Luke takes a job with wealthy Edward Quartermaine (then played by David Lewis) and his niece Alexandria (Renee Anderson), who are searching for the Ice Princess, the world's largest uncut diamond. Also in pursuit of the diamond is Mikkos Cassadine (
John Colicos John Colicos (December 10, 1928 – March 6, 2000) was a Canadian actor. He performed on stage and on television in the United States and Canada. Early life Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father and a Canadian mother. Career ...
), a wealthy Greek tycoon bent on world domination. Luke and Laura reconcile and decide to get married when Robert Scorpio (
Tristan Rogers Tristan Rogers (born 3 June 1946) is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Robert Scorpio on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and for voicing Jake in Walt Disney Pictures' '' The Rescuers Down Under''. He is currently starri ...
), an agent for the World Security Bureau (WSB), informs Luke the statue the diamond is hidden in also contains a formula for a dangerous substance called "carbonic snow" that is powerful enough to freeze Port Charles. Alexandria, working with Mikkos's brothers Victor and Tony (
Thaao Penghlis Thaao Penghlis (; born 15 December 1945) is an Australian actor. He is best known for roles in United States daytime soap operas such as ''Days of Our Lives'', ''Santa Barbara (TV series), Santa Barbara'', and ''General Hospital'', but has also g ...
and Andre Landzaat), acquires the diamond and decides to deliver it aboard ''Titan'', the Cassadines' yacht and brings several Port Charles residents with her. Luke and Robert stow away on the yacht. They are shocked to discover Laura has done so as well. The trio arrive at Mikkos's private island in the Atlantic and discover he is planning on using the Ice Princess to hold the world for ransom, threatening to send the world into a new ice age. He also reveals Port Charles is to be used as an example, and soon the city is plunged into a blizzard, despite it being the middle of the summer. Alexandria and Tony are killed when they try to stop Mikkos. Luke is able to figure out the correct password to turn off Mikkos's machine. After struggling with Luke, Mikkos is killed. Luke, Laura, and Robert are hailed as heroes when they return to Port Charles. As Luke and Laura prepare to marry,
Lee Baldwin Lee Baldwin is a fictional character on the daytime dramas ''General Hospital'' and ''Port Charles''. Ross Elliott originated the role on ''General Hospital'' in 1963. Peter Hansen inherited the role in 1965 and played it until 1986 and again ...
( Peter Hansen) reveals he drunkenly burned Scotty and Laura's divorce papers. Lee attempts to find Scott in Mexico, but when they are unable to, Laura decides to have a
Mexican divorce In the mid-20th century, some Americans traveled to Mexico to obtain a "Mexican divorce". A divorce in Mexico was easier, quicker, and less expensive than a divorce in most U.S. states, which then only allowed at-fault divorces requiring extensive ...
, risky since the divorce would be invalid should Scott ever contest it. Luke and Laura marry on November 17, 1981, in a lavish ceremony officiated by the mayor of Port Charles, with hundreds of residents from Port Charles and Beecher's Corners in attendance. Bobbie and Laura are able to come to an uneasy truce, since they both love Luke. However, Mikkos' widow Helena Cassadine (then portrayed by
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
winning actress
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
) arrives. She secretly places a curse on the couple during their reception, as she blames the duo for her husband's death. Later, Scott arrives. After catching Laura's bouquet, he declares he is contesting his divorce. As had occurred at Luke's aborted wedding to Jennifer, the men begin to fight. This time, Luke is the victor. Scott is able to be talked out of contesting his divorce. In 1982, Laura mysteriously disappears off of a pier in Port Charles and is presumed dead. Jackie Templeton (
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
) reveals her sister Laura Templeton (
Janine Turner Janine Turner (born Janine Loraine Gauntt; December 6, 1962) is an American actress best known for her roles as Maggie O'Connell in the television series ''Northern Exposure'', as Jessie Deighan in the feature film ''Cliffhanger'', and as Katie ...
) disappeared under similar circumstances. The two friends discover a thief named David Gray was behind the disappearances. While Laura Templeton was not harmed, Gray revealed he had killed Laura Spencer, leading Luke to kill him during a fight. Luke, though still uncertain about his wife's ultimate fate, begins an affair with scam artist Holly Sutton ( Emma Samms). Their affair is cut short when Luke is presumed dead in an avalanche. Holly falls in love with Robert, despite Luke revealing he is alive. In 1983, an increasingly lonely Luke decides to run for mayor of Port Charles, and wins the election. While celebrating his victory, Laura Spencer reveals she is alive and had been kidnapped by the Cassadine family. Mikkos' cousin (later retconned as eldest son) Stavros Cassadine (then played by John Martinuzzi) had spared her life since he had fallen in love with her. He forced her to marry him, although the marriage was invalid because she was already married to Luke. Stavros came to town to claim his wife but was killed after falling down a flight of stairs after a struggle with Luke. The couple attempted to settle into their roles in politics but found the roles stifling, and decided to leave Port Charles in order to see the world. In 1984, Robert helps Luke when he is accused of murder in Mexico, so that Luke would be free to be with Laura. When Luke is finally cleared, he returns to Laura, who announces the joyous news that she is pregnant. The Spencers immediately share their news with their friends. With this revelation, Luke and Laura made what seemingly would be their last appearance on ''General Hospital''. In the following years, passing references to the couple would be made by several characters. Later that year, Laura's mother Lesley appears to die in a car accident (later revealed to be arranged by the Cassadine family).


Return to Port Charles (1993–1998)

While traveling, Laura gives birth to Luke's son Lucas Lorenzo Spencer, Jr., whom they nickname Lucky (played by Jonathan Jackson). From prison, Frank Smith (then played by
Mitchell Ryan Mitchell Ryan (January 11, 1934 – March 4, 2022) was an American actor. His six decades of television credits, he is best known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic subculture, gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows'', and later for his co- ...
) tracks them down and bombs a truck in the parking lot of the Triple L Diner in Canada where the family had been hiding, killing one of their friends. Lucky arrives in Port Charles alone and meets Luke's aunt Ruby Anderson (Norma Connolly) and is shortly joined by his parents. Frank's son Damian Smith (
Leigh McCloskey Leigh Joseph McCloskey (born June 21, 1955) is an American actor, artist, author, and philosopher. Throughout his acting career, McCloskey appeared in numerous television series and movies, including the popular American soap opera ''Dallas'' an ...
) convinces Luke his family will remain unharmed if he joins Frank's protege
Sonny Corinthos Sonny Corinthos is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Maurice Benard has played the role of the manic depressive mob kingpin, living in Port Charles ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an Ameri ...
(
Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. He played Nico Kelly in the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' from 1987 to 1990 and in 1991 portrayed Desi Arnaz in the biographical television film '' Lucy & Desi: Before the La ...
) in a scheme to smuggle in illegal aliens. Luke and Sonny agree to break Frank out of prison. The friends also agree to kill Frank once they do. Frank, however, uses Laura as a shield so he can escape. Luke and Laura attempt to track Frank down. They enlist the help of Jennifer Smith (now played by
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952), also known mononymously as Roseanne, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (19 ...
), who has since married slimy Billy "Baggs" Boggs (portrayed by Barr's then husband Tom Arnold). Luke is finally able to kill Frank, though his children would continue to torment the couple. Laura reveals she is pregnant again and gives birth to a daughter named Lesley Lu Spencer and nicknamed
Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...
. Luke's involvement in Sonny's business leads to a brief separation. They continue to be threatened by Damian Smith. When Damian is murdered, Laura is arrested for the crime. She is exonerated. It is revealed her lawyer Justus Ward (then played by Joseph C. Phillips), who was the illegitimate grandson of Edward Quartermaine (now played by
John Ingle John Houston Ingle (May 7, 1928 – September 16, 2012) was an American actor best known for his roles as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine in the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and Mr. Threehorn, the father of the main characte ...
), was the killer. Lulu is diagnosed with
aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia (AA) is a severe hematologic condition in which the body fails to make blood cells in sufficient numbers. Normally, blood cells are produced in the bone marrow by stem cells that reside there, but patients with aplastic anemia ...
and needs a
bone marrow transplant Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood, in order to replicate inside a patient and produce a ...
but none of her family members are a match. Laura's son by Stavros Cassidine, Nikolas, donates his bone marrow at a hospital in Switzerland. Nikolas arrives in Port Charles with his uncle Stefan (
Stephen Nichols Stephen Earl Nichols (born February 19, 1951) is an American television actor who is recognized for his roles on various daytime soap operas. He has portrayed Steve Johnson (Days of Our Lives), Steve "Patch" Johnson on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives' ...
) where they decide to stay, creating tension in the Spencer family, especially when Stefan begins to date Bobbie. Stefan had been Laura's only friend during her captivity. The two had developed romantic feelings for each other and were lovers. When he married Bobbie, Laura knew it was to make her jealous. Stefan reveals Helena (now played by Constance Towers) had ordered him to kill Lesley. He instead saved her, though she was in a catatonic state. When mother and daughter are reunited, Luke conspires with Tom Hardy ( Matthew Ashford) to fake their deaths to keep them safe from Helena. When their ruse is uncovered, the mourning Nikolas, Bobby, and Stefan turn against the family. Stefan threatens to reveal to Luke he could be Nikolas' father and forces Laura to leave town with Lesley. A fearful Laura takes her mother and Lulu to Switzerland under the guise of getting better care for Lesley.


Marital woes (1998–2002)

Laura returns in 1998 to discover Nikolas has been shot in front of Luke's club as a result of Luke's ties to Sonny Corinthos. She also discovers Nikolas told Lucky about Luke raping her, devastating Lucky who has fallen in love with rape victim
Elizabeth Webber Elizabeth Webber is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, played by Rebecca Herbst. Elizabeth is the granddaughter of the show's original lead character, Steve Hardy ( John Beradino) and da ...
(
Rebecca Herbst Rebecca Ann Herbst (born May 12, 1977) is an American actress, known for playing Head Nurse Elizabeth Webber on the ABC Daytime drama ''General Hospital'', a role she originated on August 1, 1997, and Suzee, an alien, on the Nickelodeon show, ' ...
). Lucky slowly works towards repairing his relationship with his parents. Laura and Luke eventually separate when the truth about her past with Stefan is revealed, leading to Stefan and Bobbie divorcing. The marriage is further tested when Lucky appears to die in a fire, which the couple blame on Sonny. Helena, however, has kidnapped Lucky. She begins to brainwash him. Laura begins a relationship with Stefan. However, when Luke learns Lucky is alive, they suspect Stefan may have been involved in his disappearance. Laura ends things. The two focus all their energies on finding their son. When they do, they work together to help him recover from Helena's manipulations. Along the way, they must again deal with Jennifer Smith, now played by
Sally Struthers Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker, Archie and Edith Bunker in ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emmy Awards, and Babette on ''Gilmor ...
. The kidnapping of Lucky was a distraction for Helena's real plan, the revival of her presumed dead son Stavros (now Robert Kelker-Kelly), who had been cryogenically frozen. Stavros once again pursues the Ice Princess in another plot to take over the world. Luke and Laura continue to reach out to Lucky (then- Jacob Young). When Stefan disappears and is presumed dead, Luke is the main suspect. Felicia reveals that she and Luke were having sex when Stefan went missing. Laura finally realizes she and Luke are over. She begins a new relationship with her first husband Scott Baldwin, making Luke jealous. The Spencers reconnect while trying to help Lucky. In the end Stavros falls to his death in a seemingly bottomless pit after struggling with Luke. Unable to deny the history between them, Luke tries to get back together with Laura after their divorce is final. Luke and Laura eventually reconcile and plan to marry again. Lesley's philandering former husband and Laura's beloved step-father Rick Webber ( Chris Robinson) returns to Port Charles. Laura begins to have disturbing flashbacks to when she was a young teen and in love with Scott. Laura starts to believe Rick had killed his former lover Theresa in the attic of their family home. Before her wedding, while trying to recover her memories of that night, Laura appears to kill Rick, who she thinks is attacking her. Scott reveals Laura had killed Theresa when she discovered the two in a compromising position. He and Rick had drugged her and covered up the murder. Laura, unable to cope with her role in two deaths, loses touch with reality. In 2002, Luke is forced to commit Laura to an insane asylum. As his presence only makes things worse, he gives Nikolas power of attorney over all of her medical decisions. Eventually, Laura slips into a catatonic state.


Laura's return (2006)

By September 2006, Luke is married to Edward's manipulative daughter Tracy Quartermaine ( Jane Elliot). However, Robert's daughter, Dr.
Robin Scorpio Robin Scorpio is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its primetime SOAPnet spin-off '' General Hospital: Night Shift'', originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough on and off for over 30 years sinc ...
( Kimberly McCullough), announces a potential drug therapy that can help Laura recover. Despite knowing that it could lead to permanent catatonia, Luke decides to go ahead with the treatment as all of Laura's children desperately need her. Lucky (then- Greg Vaughan) is recovering from a drug addiction and had an affair with Felicia's daughter Maxie Jones ( Kirsten Storms), Lulu has recently had an abortion, and Nikolas is raising a young son on his own. On October 26, 2006, Laura awakens and is surprised that so much time has passed. While Laura bonds with her children, Luke flies to the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
and appears to divorce Tracy in order to give Laura the wedding they had been planning before her mental illness. Laura is able to remember killing Rick and apologizes to her mother and family for what she put them through. Feeling stronger, Laura gets her children to start revealing their secrets so she can help them. Luke is revealed to be keeping secret that the drug therapy is only a temporary solution and that Laura will eventually return to her catatonic state. Lulu is able to convince her cousin Carly Corinthos (
Laura Wright Laura Alice Wright (née Sisk; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Allison "Ally" Rescott on ''Loving (TV series), Loving'' (1991 to 1995) and ''The City (1995 TV series), The City'' (1995 ...
) to postpone her marriage to
Jasper Jacks Jasper "Jax" Jacks is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network. He has been portrayed mainly by actor Ingo Rademacher since 1996. The role was temporarily played b ...
(
Ingo Rademacher Ingo Rademacher (born 22 April 1971) is a German-Australian television actor known for his roles of Sean Hayden on the Australian soap opera ''Paradise Beach'', Jax Jacks, Jasper "Jax" Jacks on the American daytime soap opera ''General Hospital ...
), allowing her parents to use the supplies already in place. On November 16, 2006, Luke and Laura remarry on their 25th wedding anniversary. A drunken Tracy has to be removed from the ceremony, and scheming Maxie manages to sneak into the ceremony and catch Laura's bouquet, much like Scott had 25 years before. On November 20, Luke reveals that Laura's illness is no longer mental but physical and she will soon revert to her catatonic state. Laura decides she wants an early Christmas as she may not be around for the real one and is able to comfort Lulu when she reveals the truth about her abortion. When Luke arrives with the tree, Laura is confused, confirming that her catatonia is returning. After being escorted back to the asylum, Laura reveals to her daughter that she does not think she really killed Rick Webber and asks her to prove her innocence. After saying goodbye to her family, Laura returns to her chair and sits with Luke as he tearfully watches her slip back into silence.


After Laura's return to catatonia (2008)

Lulu begins investigating Rick's death, and starts to suspect Tracy's brother Alan Quartermaine (
Stuart Damon Stuart Damon (born Stuart Michael Zonis; February 5, 1937 June 29, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known for his 30-year portrayal of Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he won a ...
) and his wife
Monica Quartermaine Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, played from August 17, 1977, to December 21, 2023, by Leslie Charleson. She is a cardiologist at the eponymous hospital, and widow ...
( Leslie Charleson) of the murder, since Monica and Rick had been lovers. However, when Alan dies from a heart attack, Lulu intercepts a letter from Alan to her father revealing that Scott actually killed Rick. Lulu teams up with her boyfriend
Logan Hayes ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
(
Josh Duhon Joshua Wilson Duhon (born August 27, 1982) is an American actor. Duhon was born in McKinney, Texas, and stands 5'9”. Josh Duhon joined the cast of ''General Hospital'' in March 2007 as Logan Hayes, Lulu Spencer's eventual love interest. He lef ...
) to prove Scott's guilt, while Scott attempts to gain guardianship of Laura. After telling Lulu that Luke raped Laura, Scott is able to gain custody of her, only to have Luke kidnap Laura and send her into hiding. Logan reveals himself to be Scott's son, and his relationship with Lulu begins to unravel after interference from Maxie. Laura, meanwhile, is returned to Shadybrook, and Nikolas is again given guardianship. Desperate to get Lulu back, Logan attacks Maxie, and when he realizes that Lulu has witnessed this, he breaks into the penthouse she is sharing with her new boyfriend Johnny Zacchara (
Brandon Barash Brandon Joseph Barash (born October 4, 1979) is an American actor. He is known for playing the roles of Johnny Zacchara on the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' (2007 to 2013, 2014 to 2015) and Stefan DiMera on the NBC Daytime soap ope ...
). Lulu is forced to stab him with a knife, and after fleeing from police with Johnny, Lulu begins to lose her grip on reality and is eventually placed in the same asylum as her mother. While at Shadybrook, Laura reveals to Lulu that she has been waking up but wants it kept from the family in case she relapses. Laura helps Lulu work through her guilt over Logan's death, though Lulu again questions her sanity when doctors reveal that the Laura she has been talking to is a figment of her imagination. Scott finds Lulu talking to her still catatonic mother and begins threatening to have her arrested for Logan's death. Upon hearing her daughter in danger, Laura really wakes up and convinces Scott to leave with her to protect her daughter. Laura and Scott head to Los Angeles, where their first honeymoon took place, as Tracy and Luke pursue them. Laura and Luke are able to reunite, but their happiness is short lived when Laura learns that their last wedding was a fake and that Luke is still married to Tracy. Laura returns to Port Charles and after a joyful reunion with her family decides to move to Europe to continue treatments to insure that she does not relapse. Unknown to her, Scott Baldwin follows.


Second Ice Princess and Luke's departure (2013–2015)

On February 11, 2013 Laura returns once more to Port Charles. She catches up with daughter Lulu at the Haunted Star and tells her of her long visit with Lucky in Ireland. On February 19, 2013, Luke and Laura are surprised when Lulu receives an uncut Ice Princess rock from an unknown person; it turns out to be a fake. This chain of events eventually results in Lulu being kidnapped by Helena and Stavros Cassidine. Luke and Laura, accompanied by Lulu's husband Dante, are able to rescue Lulu only to discover that her memory has been wiped. However, Lulu's memories are eventually restored thanks to Dante. In 2015, Laura returns to Port Charles again seeking Luke's help in saving their son Lucky from Helena, which results in the rescue of both Lucky and his young son Jake. Luke later departs from Port Charles soon afterward on a journey of self-healing in order to fight off the demons of his past, leaving a goodbye letter for Laura in which he refers to her as his "Angel".


Cultural impact

Luke and Laura's November 17, 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers; it remains the highest rated soap opera episode in American daytime television history.
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
made a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
during the event, and
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...
sent champagne. The couple was subsequently credited with having brought "legitimacy to daytime serials" by crossing boundaries and becoming celebrities in the mainstream media. "
hey took daytime Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...
out of the closet so people were not ashamed to say 'I watch a soap.' ''General Hospital'' and Luke and Laura...were like the super couple," said Lilana Novakovitch, a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
agent for soap opera stars. "They ended up being on the cover of ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine, ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' magazine; they gave credibility to soap opera fans." ''
Soap Opera Digest ''Soap Opera Digest'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional ...
'' columnist Carolyn Hinsey stated that she was at her
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
sorority house when the wedding took place. "Laura Spencer — like the actress portraying her, Genie Francis — was only 19 at the time and leading a much more glamorous life than the girls in Indiana could imagine," she said. "The relationship had creepy overtones, given that Luke had raped Laura two years earlier, and yet it captured the imagination." Francis said, "I didn't really understand how big it was. I really enjoyed all my time at work. The hard time was when I was not working. Fortunately, there were not many of those hours." Geary stated, "It just wasn't anything that I was prepared to deal with as an actor, because I was in daytime. We were international celebrities but still considered small-screen." Geary continued, "People didn't take it seriously and those that did took it too seriously. It was a very, very odd place to be." The widespread media attention of Luke and Laura's wedding set the pairing up as "the model" for other soap opera supercouples. Shows wanted to duplicate their success, and, with the exception of rape for most of the couples, started incorporating the same type of action stories, romantic themes, and tales of intrigue which had originally contributed to Luke and Laura's popularity. Luke and Laura are regarded as daytime television's quintessential and most iconic couple. In 2023, Charlie Mason from ''
Soaps She Knows There are multiple media outlets which focus primarily on television soap operas and telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") ...
'' placed Laura and Luke at first and second place, respectively, on his ranked list of ''General Hospital's 40+ Greatest Characters of All Time''.


See also

*" Fascination" (1932 song), commonly associated with the couple; first played during the famous dance at Wyndham's Department store *" Rise" (1979 song by
Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, conductor, painter, sculptor and theatre producer, who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (sometimes called "Herb Alpe ...
) *"
Think of Laura "Think of Laura" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. Released as a single in late 1983 from Cross's second studio album, '' Another Page'', "Think of Laura" became the singer's fourth (and, to date, final) single to rea ...
" (1983 song by
Christopher Cross Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1979), and " Arthur's Theme (Best ...
; commonly associated with the couple) *
List of supercouples This is a list of supercouples, fictional couples who have been titled supercouples by the media, usually with the addition of substantial fan support; they may have been referred to as ''power couples'' or ''dynamic duos'', and are often defined ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Luke and Laura General Hospital characters Fiction about rape Soap opera supercouples