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Leann Hunley Played Dana Waring on "Dynasty." See Her Now at 66.

The actor remains a soap star to this day.

Depending on which show you're a fan of, you probably know Leann Hunley from one of two places: Dynasty or Days of Our Lives. Or, if you're truly a soap fan, both. From 1986 to 1989, Hunley played Dana Waring Carrington, one of the wives of Adam Carrington (Gordon Thomson), on Dynasty for its final three seasons. As for Days of Our Lives, from 1982 to 1986, she played Anna DiMera. Then, in 2007, she starred on the soap opera again, marking the first of a couple returns to the show for the actor.

But, regardless of how you first got to know Hunley, you may be interested to learn more about what she's up to today and what other roles she's taken on. Read on to find out about the 66-year-old star's life today.

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She's appeared on many TV shows.

Leann Hunley at the "Days of Our Lives" Day of Days event in 2019
Michael Mattes / Shutterstock

While Hunley's most significant roles are the ones she played on Dynasty and Days of Our Lives—for which she won a Daytime Emmy—she's been on other popular TV series over the years, too. She had recurring roles on Models Inc.Dawson's Creek, and Gilmore Girls, and made guest appearances on shows including Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Murphy Brown, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She returned to Days of Our Lives in recent years.

Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley at the 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock

After leaving Days of Our Lives in 1986, Hunley returned in 2007 and continued appearing through 2010, when she left the series again. She came back for a third round in 2017 and has remained on the show ever since. She is also part of the spinoff Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, which streams on Peacock.

Hunley is frequently interviewed along with her longtime Days co-star Thaao Penghlis, who plays her on-and-off again husband on the series. Speaking to AfterBuzz at a fan convention in 2019, she said of their connection, "We feel like we know each other inside and out. We've known each other for such a very long time. And our characters—I've loved all his characters and he's loved all my personalities, and so I think we just pick up where we've left off."

She was married once.

Leann Hunley at the 2019 Festival of Arts Celebrity Benefit Event
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach

While she's been married multiple times on TV, in real life, Hunley has been married once, to Bill Sheridan from 1980 to 2001. For the most part, she keeps her personal life very private.

"I know that I'm a bad girl and out of the loop because I'm not on Facebook. I'm not on Instagram. I'm not on Snapchat," she told Soap Opera Digest in 2019. "I just choose to have a little privacy. I can appreciate what people do with it but I'm not very good at it myself."

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She has fond memories of Dynasty.

The "Dynasty" cast at The Hollywood Show in 2015
Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

In her interview with Soap Opera Digest, Hunley explained that joining Dynasty after being on Days made a lot of sense for her.

"I was playing glamour on Days so it was kind of a natural evolution for me to just go on to that show, which was the height of glam," she said. She also reflected on working with Joan Collins, who played her character's mother-in-law, Alexis Carrington Colby.

"I always remember with Joan, even if she wasn't there, you could feel her coming because people started getting a little antsy," Hunley said. "She was always so lovely to me and very quick-witted."

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Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
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