Adan Canto dead at 42: Designated Survivor actor passes away after appendiceal cancer battle

Adan Canto passed away at the age of 42 on Monday.

The Mexican-American actor, who transitioned from a successful music career in Mexico to becoming a leading man in Hollywood, died following a battle with appendiceal cancer. 

He was best best known for his role as Vice President-elect Aaron Shore opposite Kiefer Sutherland in Designated Survivor.

Canto most recently starred in the TV series The Cleaning Lady, playing a lead character for the first two seasons. 

‘Adan had a depth of spirit that few truly knew. Those who glimpsed it were changed forever, ‘Canto’s reps at said in statement, per Deadline. ‘He will be greatly missed by so many.’

Hailing from Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, and raised in Texas, Canto departed home at the age of 16 to embark on a career as a singer and guitarist in Mexico City. 

He would soon turn his efforts to acting after he was scouted for a major role in Kevin Williamson’s 2013 series The Following.

Along with Designated Survivor, the handsome star was also known for television’s Mixology and Blood & Oil. 

Back in January 2022 Canto discussed what it has been like transitioning his career from Mexico to the US while trying not to be typecasted.

He told Observer at the time:  ‘To be honest, I don’t know if I had formed a specific strategy to navigate this. I was just honest with myself and with my team the whole way through. There were obviously certain characters or scripts that I read that I immediately went like, “Of course not! No!”

‘I know the Northern Mexican culture [because] I was raised in it, so I can tell when somebody is just scrambling to come up with a reality that’s far from [the actual] reality, so I honestly stuck with the honesty within myself. 

‘I didn’t want to do anything that didn’t sound or feel right, and I guess I’ve been blessed with good opportunities and I fought for other opportunities that weren’t necessarily handed over to me.’

Over the last two years, Canto played the role of gangster Arman Morales opposite Élodie Yung on The Cleaning Lady. 

He reported was set to join Season 3, despite unable to participate in filming when it commenced in December after the strikes concluded.

In film, Canto is likely most recognized for his portrayal of Sunspot in X-Men: Days of Future Past. 

Stepping behind the camera, Canto directed his initial short film in 2014 and followed it up with another in 2020.

Canto is survived by his wife, Stephanie Ann Canto, and their two young children, Roman Alder, three, and Eve Josephine, one