Anna DiMera | |||||||||||||||||
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Days of Our Lives character | |||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Leann Hunley | ||||||||||||||||
Duration |
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First appearance | July 30, 1982 | ||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | May 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; recurring (returning) | ||||||||||||||||
Created by | |||||||||||||||||
Introduced by |
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Spin-off appearances | Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem (2021) | ||||||||||||||||
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Anna DiMera is a fictional character on the NBC daytime drama, Days of Our Lives . She was introduced as the estranged wife of Roman Brady and the biological mother of his daughter, Carrie Brady. Created by head writers, Margaret DePriest and Sheri Anderson, Anna is portrayed by Leann Hunley. [3] Anna is known for being a member of the powerful, upper class DiMera family from her marriages to Tony DiMera.
Hunley initially portrayed Anna from 1982 to 1986. After a twenty-one year absence, Hunley reprised the role of Anna beginning on June 20, 2007, and remained on contract with the show until April 2, 2009. She then reprised the role again in early-December 2009 on a recurring basis, after taking a leave of absence from the show and ultimately leaving once more on June 15, 2010. In July 2016, it was reported that Hunley was to again reprise the role of Anna, with Anna returning from January 9 to February 16, 2017. [3] [4] In December 2017, it was announced that Hunley would return to the role, beginning January 5, 2018. [5] She appeared until her departure again on February 14, 2018. In May 2019, it was announced that Hunley would reprise the role, beginning in July. [6] On October 3, 2024, it was announced Hunley would reprise the role, [7] when Anna returns in June 2025. [8]
For her portrayal of Anna, Hunley received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1986.
Anna Fredericks first arrives in Salem in 1982, searching for Roman Brady, her husband and the father of her daughter, Carrie. For many years, Roman had been under the impression that Anna had been dead, when in reality she had been sold into slavery. Anna has several red marks on her back, which she claims are from being whipped but are in fact from multiple sclerosis.
Following her divorce from Roman, Anna takes a job as Tony DiMera's secretary, while working in secret for Stefano DiMera, who pays Anna $1,000,000 to have Roman fired from the ISA. To achieve this, Anna has Carrie hypnotized to place fake deposit slips in Roman's home. Although Roman is fired from the police force, the ISA are convinced that Roman had been framed.
In 1983, Anna drugs Tony and marries him in Las Vegas, which angers him. Shortly after the wedding, Tony discovers that one of the stipulations of Stefano's will require him to live with Renée DuMonde and David Banning for a year in order to gain his inheritance.
At one point in time, she discovers she is pregnant with Tony DiMera`s child, but suffers a miscarriage later on.
In 1986, Anna leaves Salem after learning Tony has divorced her. She moves to Europe, where she leads a successful career.
In 2007, Anna returns to Salem to deliver to the Bradys old DiMera family letters belonging to Tony. She becomes involved in the Brady/DiMera feud, and her romance with Roman is reignited. It is revealed that Tony is alive, stranded on an island for over 20 years, and that André has been impersonating Tony. Anna and Tony are reunited, and they remarry in May 2008. Tony is thought to be killed after suffering a heart attack, after a struggle with Philip Kiriakis at the pier results in a fall.
Thinking Tony has died, Anna leaves Salem on April 2, 2009. Sydney DiMera is kidnapped in December 2009. On December 18, 2009, Anna is shown on-screen, revealing to the audience as Sydney's kidnapper. In January 2010, it is revealed that EJ DiMera actually hired Anna to kidnap Sydney in order to keep her away from Sami. As 2010 progresses, Stefano manages to neutralize her from revealing EJ's part in Sydney's kidnapping, last being seen ambushed in hospital in June 2010. Carrie mentions Anna in a conversation to Austin in December 2011. In January 2017, Anna is seen when Marlena Evans bumps into her in Europe, after Anna lets loose with a gun at a Prague café, following Marlena's trail in finding Stefano. In 2018, she is accused of murdering André, and Carrie defends her. In 2019, she finds out that Tony is alive. She is initially hurt and angry but later forgives him, and the two remarry.
In 2019, writers from Soap Opera Digest cited Anna and Tony as one of the "Most Entertaining Duos" in American soap operas of 2019. [9]
Leann Hunley 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.
Stefano DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by Joseph Mascolo. Created by Pat Falken Smith, Stefano was introduced on January 18, 1982 as the father of Tony DiMera looking to expand his criminal empire to Salem. Stefano's early storylines included his feud with Roman Brady, playing his children – Tony and Renée DuMonde against one another when he is presumed dead, orchestrating a series of murders with his son and Tony's deranged look-a-like André, and replacing the presumed dead Roman with the brainwashed John Black.
Curtis Reed is a fictional character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Nick Benedict.
Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera Days of Our Lives. Actor James Reynolds has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the fifth longest serving actor on the show. The role is one of the longest-running African American characters in American soap operas. The character was created by head writer Pat Falken Smith. Abe is the widowed husband of Lexie Carver, daughter of international crime lord, Stefano DiMera. He is the father of Brandon Walker and Theo Carver and the adoptive father of Lani Price.
Lucas Horton is a fictional character on the American daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Bryan Dattilo. Introduced in 1993 as Lucas Roberts, the military cadet son of businesswoman Kate Roberts, he later discovers he is the son of Bill Horton. Lucas was once in a relationship and married to Sami Brady, his mother Kate strongly disapproved of the relationship and repeatedly tried to derail it. In 2007, Lucas changed his and his son's surname to his father's surname. Lucas and Sami are the parents of Will Horton and Allie Horton, as well as the grandparents of Arianna Horton and Henry Horton. Lucas has also been married to Carrie Brady, Chloe Lane and Nicole Walker. An important storyline for Lucas is his recurring battle with alcoholism.
John Black was a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera originally aired on NBC and now streaming on Peacock. Drake Hogestyn played the role from January 1986 until January 2009, and returned in September 2011. Hogestyn last appeared as John in the September 9, 2024, episode, weeks before his death on September 28.
Kate Roberts is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The matriarch of the series' Roberts family, the role was originated by Deborah Adair in 1993, and is currently played by Lauren Koslow, who has held the role since 1996. Kate is the mother of Austin Reed, Billie Reed, Lucas Horton, Philip Kiriakis, and the twins Cassie and Rex Brady. Kate is the ex-wife of Curtis Reed, Victor Kiriakis, Roman Brady and Stefano DiMera, and is the widow of André DiMera. She is known for getting what she wants via scheming.
Cassie Brady is a fictional character from the NBC, daytime, soap opera, and Days of Our Lives. Cassie and her twin brother, Rex, first appeared in Salem on the Fourth of July for meteor shower in 2002. They believed in the story of being aliens and were later revealed to be the children of Roman Brady and Kate Roberts.
Kristen Blake DiMera is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was portrayed by Eileen Davidson. Davidson joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1993, and departed in 1998 after a five-year stint. After a 14-year absence, Davidson returned to the role of Kristen in the fall of 2012. Kristen and her brother Peter were raised by super villain Stefano DiMera at a very young age following the deaths of their parents; however, their mother Rachel was later revealed to be alive.
Nicole Walker is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running series about working-class life in the fictional town of Salem. She was introduced in 1998 by head writer Sally Sussman Morina, and executive producer Ken Corday. Actress Arianne Zucker has portrayed the character since her introduction to the series in 1998. In 2006, Zucker left the soap in pursuit of other acting possibilities. She returned to the role in 2008. In 2016, Zucker also appeared as Helena Tasso, a deceased woman who bears a resemblance to Nicole, in flashbacks. In March 2017, Zucker announced she would once again leave the role. She made her final appearance in the role on October 20, 2017. Following her departure, media outlets began to report that Zucker was to reprise the role for a short-term visit in December 2017 after being spotted on-set; Zucker explained her visit, stating that her daughter was included in the annual telling of the Christmas Story at the University Hospital.
André DiMera is a fictional character from the NBC Daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives. The role was originated in 1983 by Thaao Penghlis when André was introduced as the nephew of Stefano DiMera. Having undergone plastic surgery to look identical to Stefano's stepson, Tony, André—on Stefano's behalf—sets out to frame Roman Brady for a series of murders. However, plans go awry as André claims several victims including Stefano's daughter Renée DuMonde. André's later plans to help Stefano heal his brain tumor and get revenge on their enemies culminates in André's presumed death in November 1984.
Carrie Brady Reed is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial set in the fictional town of Salem, Illinois. Created by head writer Margaret DePriest, the role of Carrie has been most notably portrayed by Christie Clark, who took over the role in 1986 as a teenager. Clark remained with the series from April 1986 to January 1991 and from December 1992 to November 1999. She returned in 2005, leaving in October 2006, and returned in September 2011 as part of a reboot of the series. Her character left the show the following July, and in September 2016, it was announced that Clark would return as Carrie in 2017. Carrie, a lawyer, also returned for several weeks in early 2018 when her mother, Anna, was accused of the murder of Andre DiMera. She returned in June 2019 for the funeral of Caroline Brady. In 2021, Carrie appeared in the spinoff series Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.
Billie Reed is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, created by writer Sheri Anderson and most prominently portrayed by Lisa Rinna.
Philip Kiriakis is a character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera. Child actors portrayed the character of Philip until he was rapidly aged and returned under the portrayal of Brandon Tyler in October 1999. Tyler was quickly replaced by Jay Kenneth Johnson, who was in the role until leaving the show in December 2002. The character returned in May 2003 played by Kyle Brandt. After Brandt left the show in October 2006, Johnson returned to the role in January 2007 then left on April 20, 2011. In 2015, actor John-Paul Lavoisier was cast in the role; he was let go the following year, last appearing in December 2016. In 2019, Johnson reprised the role on the digital-only Last Blast Reunion series and returned to Days of Our Lives in August 2020; he later departed in December 2021. In August 2023, Lavoisier returned to the role before departing two months later; he resumed the role when Philip returned to Salem in October 2024.
Sami Brady is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the Peacock streaming service, portrayed by Alison Sweeney since 1993. The character is first seen as a newborn baby in the episode of October 16, 1984, in which mom Marlena Evans gives birth to her and her twin brother Eric Brady. Initially played by a series of child actresses, Sweeney took over the role of Sami when the character was rapidly-aged from a pre-teen to a teenager, in January 1993, under the pen of head writers Sheri Anderson and James E. Reilly.
Tony DiMera is a fictional character from the Peacock American soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by actor Thaao Penghlis on and off from November 6, 1981, until October 24, 1985, and from July 19, 2007, until April 1, 2009. One of the character's main storylines includes being impersonated by fellow character André DiMera at various points in the character's tenure. Both roles were played by Penghlis. He reprised the role in a guest capacity in March 2019, before returning in a recurring capacity later that July, and exiting again in May 2023. On October 3, 2024, it was announced Penghlis would reprise the role, when Tony returns in June 2025.
Andrew "Drew" Donovan III is a fictional character from the American soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Charles Shaughnessy in 1988-1989. Shaunghnessy reprised his role in February 2017 and again in September 2021 in spin-off Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.
Marlena Evans is a fictional character on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives, a long-running serial about working life in the fictional town of Salem. She has been played by actress Deidre Hall since 1976, but the character was absent from the show from 1987 to August 1991 and again from January 2009 to September 2011. Marlena was created by scriptwriter Pat Falken Smith and executive producer Betty Corday, and has become one of Days of our Lives' most well-known characters. Hall made her debut on the soap on June 21, 1976, currently making her the second longest running actress on the serial, surpassed only by Suzanne Rogers.
Rafe Hernandez is a fictional character on Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Portrayed by Galen Gering and created by Dena Higley, Rafe is introduced in 2008 as the FBI agent assigned to protect the troublesome Sami Brady during her stay in witness protection. Sami and Rafe's contentious dynamic later develops into romance and the two fall in love and eventually marry. However, their romance is plagued by Sami's supercouple romance with Salem's resident badboy, EJ DiMera. Rafe's disdain for the DiMera family grows when he discovers that EJ is behind the kidnapping and presumed death of Sami's daughter Sydney and EJ's father Stefano replaces Rafe with a doppelganger. The series also introduces Rafe's younger sisters, Arianna and Gabi and later his younger brother Dario. Rafe is very protective of his siblings having helped raise them when their father abandoned the family. Rafe also has an affair with Kate Roberts putting him at odds with Stefano, Kate's ex-husband. He later falls in love with physical therapist Jordan Ridgeway whom he tries to help overcome her own dark past. In 2015, Rafe is forced to confront his past when his estranged father Eduardo resurfaces. Rafe later falls in love with his longtime colleague Hope Brady and supports her when she loses her true love to a brain tumor. When a grief-stricken Hope murders Stefano, Rafe helps her cover it up. Later storylines include raising Jordan's son, David, and his devastation when David's aunt gains custody of him, and developing a relationship with Ava Vitali.