Soap Opera Legend David Canary From “All My Children” Has Died

It’s a sad and shitty day for All My Children fans and all of us 80s kids who watched it while home sick from school. The Wilton Bulletin reports that David Canary, who played good and evil twins Stuart and Adam Chandler on AMC, died from natural causes on November 16th in Wilton, Connecticut. He was 77.

David Canary grew up in Massillon, Ohio, where he played high school football and got a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. After getting his degree in music, he turned down an offer to play for the Denver Bronco because he wanted to go to New York City to act. David did theater in NYC and around the country before he was drafted into the army. When he get out of the army, he got a recurring role in Peyton Place and later played Candy on Bonanza.

Before he got the role that made him a daytime legend, he was in the soap operas Search For Tomorrow, The Doctors and Another World. On New Year’s Eve in 1983, he made his debut as the ruthless ass Adam Chandler. A year after that, he started playing Adam’s sweet and naive brother Stuart. He played Adam and Stuart Chandler on AMC (and sometimes on my soap One Life to Live) until 2010 when he retired from acting full-time. After retiring, he continued to act a little bit and he went back to All My Children for the show’s finale in 2011. He was nominated 16 times for a Daytime Emmy and won 5 times.

David was married to Maureen Canary for 33 years and they had a son Christopher and a daughter Kathryn.

As soon as I heard the news about Adam Chandler’s death earlier today, I kept refreshing Susan Lucci’s Twitter over and over again for her words about this sadness. Erica Kane was married to Adam Chandler in the early 80s. They broke up, but in the 90s, Adam blackmailed Erica into renewing their vows after telling her that their marriage never legally ended. You know, it happens. La Lucci finally said these words about David Canary:

I just learned the news that the wonderful David Canary has passed away–I saw it posted on Kelly Ripa”s site. My deepest and heartfelt sympathy to his wife Mo and his children, Christopher and Katie. Rest in peace, David–you warm and generous, talented and fabulous man, actor and friend! I am so grateful to have known you–and to have had the privilege of sharing the AMC stage with you! I will never forget you.

Rest in peace, Adam and Stuart Chandler.

Pic: ABC