Annie Richards (née Douglas) is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Sarah Buxton. The character's creation was announced in 1996 prior to the serial going on air. Series creator Aaron Spelling helped create Annie's appearance and style. Annie has been characterised as a reformed girl. The character has also been central to various fantasy sequences through her duration. These have been favoured by some of the serial's critics. Buxton has been nominated for one award for her portrayal and Annie has been branded one of the programme's most popular characters.