Adan Canto, Cleaning Lady and Designated Survivor Star, Dead at 42

Adan Canto, best known to TV audiences for his roles on The Cleaning Lady and Designated Survivor, has died at the age of 42.

“Actor Adan Canto died on Jan. 8, 2024, of appendiceal cancer,” Canto’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed in a statement to TVLine. “Adan had a depth of spirit that few truly knew. Those who glimpsed it were changed forever. He leaves behind his wife, best friend and creative partner Stephanie Ann Canto as well as his two greatest works of art, Roman Alder, three-and-a-half years of age, and Eve Josephine, one-and-a-half years of age. He will be greatly missed by so many.”

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Warner Bros. Television and Fox also released the following statement: “We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Adan Canto. A wonderful actor and dear friend, we were honored to have him as part of the Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment families since his U.S. debut in The Following more than a decade ago. Most recently, he lit up the screen in The Cleaning Lady with a powerful performance that showcased his artistry, range, depth and vulnerability. This is an unfathomable loss, and we grieve alongside his wife Stephanie, their children and loved ones. We will miss Adan dearly.”

According to our sister site Deadline, Canto’s diagnosis did not allow for him to return to Fox’s The Cleaning Lady when production on Season 3 got underway in December — though it was expected that he’d rejoin his co-stars and reprise his role as gangster Arman Morales later this season. The show will reportedly pay tribute to Canto with a memorial card during the Season 3 premiere, airing Tuesday, March 5, at 8/7c.

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Prior to The Cleaning Lady, Canto for three seasons starred opposite Kiefer Sutherland on the ABC-turned-Netflix thriller Designated Survivor, where he played vice president-elect Aaron Shore. (Read Sutherland’s tribute to Canto here.)

Canto’s big break came in 2013, when he was cast as Paul Torres in Season 1 of Fox’s Kevin Bacon crime drama The Following. That was followed by starring roles on ABC’s Mixology (as bartender Dominic) and Blood & Oil (as A.J. Menendez), and a recurring role on Fox’s Second Chance (as Connor Graff). He also played real-life politician Rodrigo Lara Bonilla in a Season 1 episode of Netflix’s Narcos.

On the film side, he played Sunspot in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, and also appeared in 2 Hearts, Bruised and Agent Game.

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