Days of Our Lives Nov 6: Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley Return as Tony and Anna DiMera for the 61st Anniversary

THAAO PENGHLIS AND LEANN HUNLEY ARE BACK IN SALEM FOR TWO DAYS

TL;DR: Two episodes, Friday and Monday, the same week Lexie’s memorial and Dominic Marino’s big reveal land in Salem. Here is what is confirmed about the Tony and Anna return, and what is still only chatter.

Tony and Anna DiMera Are Back for the Anniversary

It’s confirmed: Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley return as Tony DiMera and Anna DiMera on Days of Our Lives on Friday, November 6, 2026, the episode that kicks off the show’s 61st anniversary. They come back again on Monday, November 9. That is the whole booking. Casting news calls it a two-day reprisal, so enjoy every minute.

The timing could not be juicier. Friday is the same day Salem gathers at Brady’s Pub for Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford)’s memorial, and the same day the Days of Our Lives spoilers promise that Dominic Marino (Kyle Pryor) finally reveals himself to Salem. The anniversary episodes were announced back on October 20 as featuring Dominic’s arrival. Put a DiMera legacy couple in the middle of that and you have fireworks.

Here is where it gets fun. Spoiler chatter has been passing around a line said to come from the new fall and winter promo. Tony, the report goes, tells his newfound brother: “One of Father’s favorite pastimes was pitting his children against one another.” We could not check that line against the footage ourselves, so hold it loosely. But if it is real, Tony is the one DiMera in the house who has already lived through Stefano’s games.

Who do you most want Tony and Anna to run into this weekend? Write to the editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and tell us.

Why Tony Is the Perfect Man for This Moment

Thaao Penghlis has been part of Salem since the early 1980s, a run any fan of Days of Our Lives history can recite, and Tony has survived more family betrayals than most of the DiMera portraits on the mansion walls. That history is exactly why his return lands now. Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) is long gone, yet a birth certificate naming Stefano as Dominic’s father has the whole family rattled. If that paper holds, Dominic would be Tony’s half brother. That is a big if, and the show has not answered it.

Leann Hunley’s Anna is the other half of the fun. Last winter, Anna rushed into Tony’s arms at the hospital after he vanished on a cruise through Greece, and their return now headlines a Friday full of familiar faces in our comings and goings for the week of November 2. In May, Anna was the one who exposed Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) as Tony’s corporate spy. Anna does not whisper. She announces.

When Are Tony and Anna DiMera Back on Days of Our Lives?

Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9, 2026, and that is all that has been announced. One report goes further and says the memorial scenes spill into the week of November 9 while Tony and Anna stay for Monday only. The two dates themselves are solid. What is not confirmed is whether Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley actually walk into Lexie’s memorial. Every official preview for Friday puts someone else at that gathering: Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk), who pays it a secret visit.

That detail is our edge, and it matters. A lot of chatter has Tony and Anna arriving “for” the memorial. The confirmed reason they are back is the 61st anniversary. If you have missed a beat, our daily recaps show how Dominic slipped into Salem this week, masked at Belle’s door on Monday as Rita greeted him at the Salem Inn.

What We Expect From Two Days of Tony and Anna

My gut tells me Tony is not coming home just to raise a glass. If I know these writers, the man who watched Stefano play favorites for decades will take one look at Dominic and recognize the move. Don’t be surprised if he quietly warns EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) that the newcomer is the bait and the family fight is the point. That is our prediction, not a spoiler.

Anna, meanwhile, is the wild card. Could she spot something about Stefano’s past that everyone else missed? She has known that family a very long time. With Thaao Penghlis booked for only two episodes, the show has to make every scene count, and that usually means somebody says the quiet part out loud.

Should Tony welcome Dominic or slam the door on him? Tell us in the comments.

Catch every twist in Salem with our latest Days of Our Lives coverage.

Two Days of Tony and Anna Is a Gift, Not a Cameo

We will take two days of Tony and Anna over none, and the show picked the right week. An anniversary, a memorial and a stranger claiming the DiMera name is exactly when you want the family’s longest memory standing in the room.

Our only complaint is the clock. Two episodes go fast, and these two deserve a story. Tell us which scene you want first on our Facebook page.