Leann Hunley
Leann Hunley (born February 25, 1955) is an American television actress. Although she has worked in numerous productions, she is perhaps best known for portraying Anna DiMera on NBC's Days of Our Lives and Dana Waring on the ABC primetime soap opera, Dynasty.
Leann Hunley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 25, 1955 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Washington in Seattle |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) | Bill Sheridan (m. 1980–2001) |
Personal life
Hunley was born in Forks, Washington (located 120 miles NW of Seattle near the Washington Coast), and later attended University of Washington.
Career
Her first television appearance was on Hawaii Five-O. She was a regular on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo in 1979 and 1980. Her role as Anna DiMera on Days of Our Lives from 1982 to 1986 would win her an Emmy Award at the 13th Daytime Emmy Awards for best supporting actress in 1986. For three seasons of Dynasty, Hunley portrayed Dana Waring, Adam Carrington's wife . She appeared on Aaron Spelling's short-lived Models, Inc.. In the first season of Dawson's Creek (1998) she was Tamara Jacobs, a high school English teacher who has an tempestuous affair with her student Pacey Witter. She also played Shira Huntzberger on Gilmore Girls in 2005.
After a 21-year absence from playing the role, Hunley returned to Days of Our Lives as Anna on June 21, 2007, recurring on the series until early 2017. She again returned to play the role of Anna DiMera for a story arch in August 2019.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Miss Arlington | |
| 1995 | Cops n Roberts | ||
| 2001 | Your Guardian | Tanna Hildegard | |
| 2012 | Blissful Lies | Addison Hamilton |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Hawaii Five-O | Longworth's Secretary | Episode: "The Cop on the Cover" |
| 1978 | Hawaii Five-O | Lucy Sutherland | Episode: "Frozen Assets" |
| 1978 | The Islander | Mac's Wife | TV movie |
| 1978-1979 | Battlestar Galactica | 1st Girl Warrior | 4 episodes |
| 1979 | B. J. and the Bear | Dr. Winters | Episode: "Crackers" |
| 1979 | Mrs. Columbo | Judy | Episode: "The Valley Strangler" |
| 1979-1980 | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Sarah Cumberland | 17 episodes |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island | Secretary | Episode: "The Curse of the Moreaus/My Man Friday" |
| 1982-1986 | Days of Our Lives | Anna DiMera | TV series |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart | Diane | Episode: "As the Hart Turns" |
| 1984 | Airwolf | Meryl | Episode: "One Way Express" |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Episode: "Remote Control Man" | |
| 1986 | Knight Rider | Liz Preston | Episode: "Fright Knight" |
| 1986 | Hotel | Catherine | Episode: "Opening Moves" |
| 1986-1988 | Dynasty | Dana Waring Carrington | Series Regular (Season 7-8)
Guest Role (Season 9) 47 episodes |
| 1988 | Highway to Heaven | Jennifer | Episode: "We Have Forever: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Shannon McBride | Episode: "A Little Night Work" |
| 1988 | Simon & Simon | Violet Harlowe / R.J. Simmons | Episode: "Play It Again, Simon" |
| 1989 | The Last Word | Herself | Game show pilot |
| 1989 | Who's the Boss? | Lisa | Episode: "Winter Break" |
| 1989 | Wolf | Television movie | |
| 1990 | Designing Women | Gaby Langford | Episode: "The Mistress" |
| 1990 | Matlock | Leanne Wilson | Episode: "The Talk Show" |
| 1990 | Murder, She Wrote | Dana Darren | Episode: "Murder: According to Maggie" |
| 1990 | Lucky Chances | Eden | TV miniseries |
| 1990 | L.A. Law | Maura Fitzgerald | Episode: "New Kidney on the Block" |
| 1991 | Gabriel's Fire | Gwen Kidder | Episode: "Postcards from the Faultline" |
| 1991 | Princesses | Andrea Sussman | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1992 | Coopersmith | Laraine Sands | Television movie |
| 1993 | Silent Victim | Chrissy Lee | Television movie |
| 1993 | Daddy Dearest | Pam | Episode: "The Tortoise and the Scare" Episode: "Thanks, But No Thanks" |
| 1994 | The Nanny | Bobbi Jo | Episode: "I Don't Remember Mama" |
| 1994 | Models Inc. | Marcia Carson | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Heaven Help Us | TV series | |
| 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | Lydia De Kooning | Episode: "Amsterdam Kill" |
| 1995 | Murphy Brown | Linda | Episode: "Rumble in the Alley" |
| 1995 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Joan | Episode: "As the Will Turns" |
| 1995 | Burke's Law | Leslie Livingston | Episode: "Who Killed the Centerfold?" |
| 1996 | Hudson Street | Elizabeth Owens | Episode: "One for the Monet" |
| 1996 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Emily Channing | Episode: "Swear to God, This Time We're Not Kidding" |
| 1997 | 7th Heaven | Rachel Grewe | Episode: "Say Good-Bye" |
| 1998 | Dawson's Creek | Tamara Jacobs | 9 episodes |
| 1999 | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Lauren Wells | Episode: "Mishap" |
| 1999 | Horse Sense | Jacy Woods | Television movie |
| 2003 | Strong Medicine | Renee Van Dyke | Episode: "Blocked Lines" |
| 2003 | Just Shoot Me! | Binnie | Episode: "Strange Bedfellows" |
| 2005 | Gilmore Girls | Shira Huntzberger | Episode: "But I'm a Gilmore!" Episode: "We've Got Magic to Do" |
| 2007-2010, 2017, 2019-2020 | Days of Our Lives | Anna DiMera | TV series |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Joyce Shepard | Episode: "Sugar" |
| 2010 | NCIS | Young Joann Fielding | Episode: "Mother's Day" |
| 2012 | Raising Hope | Francine | Episode: "The Walk for the Runs" |
External links
- Leann Hunley at IMDb
- Leann Hunley at TV Guide
- Leann Hunley at AllMovie