Adan Canto December 5, 1981 – January 8, 2024 was a Mexican actor. He portrayed Sunspot in the 2014 superhero film X-Men: Days of Future Past, Paul Torres on the Fox drama series The Following, and AJ Menendez in the ABC prime-time series Blood & Oil. He appeared as Rodrigo Lara Bonilla in the Netflix drama series Narcos, Aaron Shore in the ABC Netflix political drama Designated Survivor and starred on Fox’s The Cleaning Lady until his death.
Adan Canto Facts
- Born: December 5, 1981 Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico
- Died : January 8, 2024 (aged 42)
- Occupation: Actor
- Years active 2009–2024
- Spouse Stephanie Ann Canto
Adan Canto Early life
Canto was born in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico to parents José-Luis Narváez, a dentist, and Marlyn Canto-Narváez, a homemaker and singer. Born and raised in Mexico, Canto crossed the border daily as a child to attend an American Catholic school in Del Rio, Texas. He grew up riding horses at his grandfather’s ranch in Acuña where his father was a charro. With the encouragement of his mother, Canto began performing on stage as a singer at the age of 7. He was introduced to the traditional boleros and mariachi music from a young age and performed in and around his home state through his teenage years.
Canto left home at the age of 16 to pursue a career as a musician. He had success as a singer songwriter in San Antonio after collaborating with Studio M. He spent five years working as a musician in Mexico City where he performed as lead singer for the jazz band Del Canto. Canto wrote for and produced several songs for film and TV in Mexico. Canto began acting in a handful of commercials in Mexico City and was soon cast in a television series called Estado de Gracia. Canto eventually turned to the stage after being cast as a lead in the adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother.
Adan Canto Career
In 2013, Canto made his debut on American television, playing the role of Paul Torres on the Fox drama series, The Following during its first season. He later was cast as Sunspot in the 2014 superhero film X-Men: Days of Future Past. Also in 2014, Canto was regular cast member on the ABC comedy series,
Mixology. He later co-starred in the Amazon pilot Hysteria,and NBC’s The Curse of the Fuentes Women. In 2015, Canto was cast as AJ Menendez in ABC prime time series, Blood & Oil. He later had a recurring role on the Fox drama series, Second Chance, and guest-starred on ShondaLand’s The Catch. In 2016, Canto was cast in the ABC political drama series, Designated Survivor, playing White House Deputy
Chief of Staff, and later Chief of Staff Aaron Shore opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, and Maggie Q.The show was renewed by Netflix for a third season which was released on June 7, 2019.
Adan Canto In 2019, Canto was cast opposite Halle Berry in her highly anticipated directorial debut film Bruised.
Canto started his production company Canto House Pictures in 2013 and directed his first short film Before Tomorrow in 2014. Canto’s most recent short film The Shot, a period drama set in 1844 Texas, earned several festival awards for Best Narrative Short Film in 2020. Canto was developing projects for film and TV through his production company based in Los Angeles, California at the time of his death.
Adan Canto on the set of The Shot in Dripping Springs, Texas.
In March 2020, Canto was cast in a main role of mobster Arman Morales for the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, which he starred in for two seasons. His declining health prevented him from immediately rejoining the cast for the show’s third season, although, at the time of his death, he had planned to eventually return to the show.
Adan Canto Personal life and death
Canto met the American sculptor and painter Stephanie Lindquist in 2012 while filming The Following in Brooklyn, New York. Their first artistic collaboration was the short film Before Tomorrow in 2014. The
two married in June 2017, and lived in the Hollywood Hills. They had their first child in 2020, and their second in 2022.
Adan Canto Filmography
- Year Title Role Notes
- 2010 Te Presento a Laura Manuel
- 2010 Sin Memoria Coco
- 2011 Amar no es querer Mauro
- 2012 Al Ras Adan Short film
- 2014 Before Tomorrow Joseph Short film; also director,
- writer, and producer
- 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past Sunspot
- 2014 Almost Thirty Sid
- 2017 Amanda & Jack Go Glamping Nate
- 2020 2 Hearts Jorge Bolivar
- 2020 Bruised Desi
- 2021 The Devil Below Darren
- 2022 Agent Game Kavinsky