'Designated Survivor' Actor Adan Canto Dead at 42

Adan Canto has died at 42. Deadline reports that the star of Designated Survivor and The Cleaning Lady died on Monday, Jan. 8 after battling appendiceal cancer. The Mexican-American actor was born in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico in 1981, but he was raised in Texas. He pursued a music career in Mexico beginning at age 16 and would go on to be the lead singer for the jazz band Del Canto. Canto later switched over to acting and starred in numerous commercials in Mexico City before landing the role in the series Estado de Gracia.

He appeared in a number of Mexican projects before being cast in the Fox series The Following as Paul Torres in the first season. He also portrayed Sunspot in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, with other roles including Hysteria, Narcos, Second Chance, The Catch, 2 Hearts, and The Devil Below. He most recently starred on Fox's The Cleaning Lady as Arman Morales. According to the outlet, due to his health, Canto was unable to film the first part of Season 3, which went back into production in December following the strikes. He was planning on rejoining the show later in the season, which will now kick off with a special tribute card at the beginning of the premiere episode in March.

"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," Fox and WBTV shared in a joint statement. "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."

Aside from The Cleaning Lady, Adan Canto was also known as Vice President-elect of the United States Aaron Shore on the ABC-turned-Netflix political drama Designated Survivor. He starred in all three seasons alongside Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, Italia Ricci, Tanner Buchanan, Kal Penn, Maggie Q, and Jake Epstein. Designated Survivor and The Cleaning Lady marked Canto's longest-running roles with 53 and 22 episodes apiece, respectively.

The Season 3 premiere of The Cleaning Lady airs on Thursday, Mar. 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and it will include a tribute card to Canto. He is survived by his wife of six years, Stephanie Lindquist, and their two kids.