Lanna Saunders

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Lanna Saunders (December 22, 1941 in New York City — March 10, 2007 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California) was an American actress, best known for her role as Marie Horton on the television soap opera Days of our Lives, on which she appeared from 1979 to 1985.

Saunders came from a prominent Russian acting family; her father was actor Nicholas Saunders and her grandfather was actor Nicholas Soussanin, who both emigrated from the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s. Saunders first started in acting at age 13, studying under Elia Kazan and later joining his Lincoln Center Company. She met her future husband, actor, Lawrence Pressman, while performing on Broadway, and were married from 1973 until her death. They have one son, actor, David Pressman . Her father died August, 2006 at 92 years old. She is also survived by her mother and brother Theo Saunders.

Saunders was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1982 and she left Days of our Lives three years later when she became too ill to continue in the role. Her death stemmed from undisclosed complications from MS.