Adan Canto ✝

Adán 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. 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 in 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 the recurring role in 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.