Many Happy Returns

Leann Hunley is always up for reprising the role of DAYS’s Anna DiMera

- Janet Di Lauro

Though their on-screen coupling has intrigued viewers from the moment sparks ignited between the count, Tony DiMera, and gold-digging Anna during DAYS OF OUR LIVES’s glorious ’80s heyday, Leann Hunley didn’t initially welcome her pairing with Thaao Penghlis. “When I was first told that I was going to work

with him, I said, ‘Whyyyyyyy? Why me?’ ” laughs Hunley, reflecting on the moment. “Because I was like this little innocent deer. That’s how I would kind of describe Anna until it was discovered that she really worked for Stefano and had this other side to her. And I’m kind of like that in real life. I’m not challenging. I am more of a calming [presence]. And Thaao was used to being a little fiery. I was scared a little bit because he was demanding.”

Albeit demanding for the right reasons. “The thing about Thaao is he has a tremendous sense of standards,” explains Hunley. “He puts you through your paces. He wants [the work] to be done right. He wants it to be good. He’s more vocal about that than some people and strong. I’ve grown to love those qualities about him.”

The turning point came when Hunley and Penghlis were teamed with Arleen Sorkin (ex-Calliope) and John de Lancie (ex-Eugene). “It really kind of jelled when we were all working together,” remembers the actress. “Just literally, our scenes started working. Of course, in those days we came in at 6 in the morning and rehearsed until we filmed at 2 in the afternoon. So you had a lot of time to work with the lines and make them funny or poignant, whatever was needed. That camaraderie we had as a quad was marvelous. We grew to love each other, and each individually.”