‘The Cleaning Lady’ Star Elodie Yung Talks Honoring Adan Canto, Teases Season 3

Katie Campione
·3 min read
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As the Season 3 premiere of The Cleaning Lady approaches, the cast and crew is still mourning the loss of Adan Canto.

While speaking with Deadline ahead of Tuesday’s episode, star Elodie Yung said that she is not doing anything on set, not once, without Adan in mind.”

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Yung starred alongside Canto in the first two seasons of The Cleaning Lady. She wasn’t able to give many details about how the story may have changed in the wake of Cantos’ death, only that she hopes audiences will feel like they honored his character.

“I’m not involved in the writing of the show, so I’m not sure how things were handled before. What I can tell you is that…they’ve had a lot of meetings to make sure that his memory has been honored, that we would do things the right way for him and for his family — for our audience as well,” Yung said.

Adan Canto Dies: ‘The Cleaning Lady’ & ‘Designated Survivor’ Star Was 42

The actor had not been able to film when production on Season 3 started in December due to his health, but Canto was planning to rejoin the cast later in the season.

Fox has already revealed that Cantos’ character Arman goes missing at the beginning of Season 3, and the storyline for the season is expected to revolve heavily around the search for him. So far, Fox has given no further details as to what will happen to the character. In a title card during the premiere episode, Fox paid tribute to the late actor.

“It’s been extremely difficult. It’s losing a partner, a friend. This crew is very close to each other. We’ve been doing it for three seasons…it’s been it’s been tragic, and it’s been very painful,” Yung added. “But I hope that I poured my heart into what I had to do this season. I know I did. I hope that I’ve honored our relationship, Thony and Arman.”

The actress did share some other details about Season 3 as well, revealing that viewers will re-enter the series a few months after the events of the Season 2 finale.

“I think the intensity of the show increases because at the beginning of the season, you find Thony left alone facing the deportation of her sister-in-law. She doesn’t have any resources that she can rely on,” Yung said. “Thony is a very resourceful character, but she’s going to be pushed up even more this season because of this lack of resources.”

This season, Thony will be facing a new adversary in Kate Del Castillo’s Ramona Sanchez, the elegant, beautiful and regal matriarch of the Sanchez family who has the grace and quiet wisdom that belies a ruthless cunning below the surface.

To the world, Ramona is a benevolent philanthropist, art collector and loving aunt to a young child, but behind closed doors, she’s shrewd, powerful and fiercely protective of her family, her business and her many dark secrets. Additionally, Santiago Cabrera joins as Ramona’s brother, while Clayton Cardenas will play her trusty lieutenant. Brandon Jay McLaren and JB Tadena also join the cast.

“I think it was a brilliant idea to bring the new nemesis,” Yung said, keeping quiet on most details about Del Castillo’s character, except to say “she’s a very powerful woman.”

She added that Del Castillo brings “real subtlety” as well as “a lot of intelligence, strength, but also vulnerability to her character.”

“Thony doesn’t quite know how to operate around her, and so it blurs things for Thony,” Yung continued. “She can’t figure out this world.”

The Cleaning Lady Season 3 debuts on Fox March 5 at 7 p.m.

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