'The Cleaning Lady' Star Adan Canto Passes Away at 42 Following Private Battle with Cancer
Actor Adan Canto tragically passes away at 42 after a courageous, private fight against appendiceal cancer The entertainment industry mourns the loss of this talented individual
Adan Canto. Jason Mendez/WireImage
Adan Canto, star of The Cleaning Lady, passed away on Monday, January 8th after bravely battling appendiceal cancer. He was 42 years old. In a statement to Deadline on Tuesday, January 9th, Canto's representatives at UTA, Entertainment360, and Viewpoint expressed that those who had the privilege of knowing Adan experienced a profound and impactful spirit, and that he will be dearly missed by many.
Canto is survived by his wife, Stephanie Ann Canto, and their two children: Roman Alder, aged 3, and Eve Josephine, aged 1.
The Mexican-American actor began his career as a singer-songwriter in Mexico before venturing into acting. He made the transition to working in the U.S. after landing his first American TV role on The Following, alongside Kevin Bacon. After a significant role on the horror show, he portrayed Sunspot in X-Men: Days of Future Past and went on to appear in Narcos, Blood & Oil, and The Catch.
Canto gained recognition for his 53-episode role as vice presidential candidate Aaron Shore on the Kiefer Sutherland drama Designated Survivor. After his time on the series, he starred in the 2020 Halle Berry-directed film Bruised, portraying an MMA fighter's journey to redemption.
In 2022, the late actor joined the cast of Fox's The Cleaning Lady, appearing in every episode. The drama follows Thony De La Rosa, a doctor who comes to the U.S. for medical treatment to save her son but ends up working as a cleaning lady to make ends meet. When she witnesses a murder committed by Arman Morales (Canto), he quickly involves her in a life of organized crime.
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Production for season 3 of the drama began in December 2023, but Canto’s health issues prevented him from filming. He was expected to return to his role later in the season. According to Deadline, The Cleaning Lady season 3 premiere will include a memorial card paying tribute to Canto on Tuesday, March 5.
Despite keeping his battle with cancer private, Canto shared with Anthem Magazine in April 2022 that he preferred to keep his personal matters separate from his public life. "I like to keep private matters private—the good and the bad, you know what I mean? I enjoy my family. My priority is my family," he explained. "I kind of compartmentalize Hollywood and family. And that’s not to say that people who expose or put their entire private lives out there are doing it wrong. Everybody’s equipped to living in certain ways and they make their choices accordingly. I just choose to do things in the way that works for me and my family."
