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The recent loss of actor Adan Canto was acutely felt during The Cleaning Lady‘s Season 3 premiere.
Canto, who co-starred as Arman Morales on the Fox drama, passed away in January after a battle with appendiceal cancer, and Tuesday’s season opener ended with a tribute card that read, “This season is dedicated to our beloved friend Adan Canto.”
But the ultimate fate of Canto’s on-screen alter ego was left a mystery for the moment: At the top of the hour, Arman was involved in a potentially deadly shootout that unfolded when a drug deal went awry, but Thony and Nadia were forced to speed away from the incident before they could tell whether Arman had gotten shot. (As co-showrunners Jeannine Renshaw and Miranda Kwok detail below, “Hollywood magic” was used for Arman’s fleeting appearance in the episode, as Canto was not actually on set.)
Thony and Nadia spent the rest of the episode searching for Arman, leading them to a dangerous cartel with which Arman’s estranged aunt and uncle (played by Kate del Castillo and Santiago Cabrera) are involved — but his whereabouts remained unknown by the end of the hour. (Check out the new Season 3 preview above for a glimpse at what’s ahead in subsequent episodes.)
Below, Renshaw and Kwok open up about losing Canto ahead of the season, how they accommodated his real-life health trouble behind the scenes, and why we shouldn’t be so quick to assume what will become of Arman.
TVLINE | Adan’s death came as a massive shock to everyone when it was first reported — but when the news broke, you’d already been in production on the new season, and it seemed the show was accounting for at least a temporary absence on his part. Can you speak to when you learned about Adan’s health struggles, and when it became clear you’d need to adjust the new episodes?
KWOK | We are all so devastated to lose Adan. He was such an important member not only of the cast, but of our family. It was quite a struggle for us to deal with this year, in many ways. As people know, Adan is also very private, and he did not want to speak about the details around things. We definitely made sure to make room for him, so that if he was able to come back, we created space for him. We had to, of course, pivot when we found out he may not be able to join us. So there are actually several episodes where we’re searching for Arman, and we were hoping that we would ultimately be able to bring him back on the show. Unfortunately, we were not able to do that, but in terms of the season, it was really important for us to honor him as a person and also him as a character, and what he meant to the show, and what he meant to fans. It was very carefully thought out and discussed so that we could tell the best story we could that would also honor him and allow our other characters to process his absence.
RENSHAW | It was a dialogue with him the whole time about how he was and how he was feeling. We originally crafted the season around him. It was an Arman-driven season anyway. And when we first heard he was struggling and having treatment, we wanted to make sure we had a story crafted — like Miranda’s saying — where he could join us at any time and we could open it up for him. We had it all planned to welcome him back at the end of the season. It was so sad for all of us and a very, very tragic moment, but we also felt we honored him in a really nice way. All of the crew and the other actors really got a chance to process it, and hopefully the audience will get that chance, as well.
TVLINE | I was surprised to see Arman make a very brief appearance at the start of the premiere, in that shootout on the tarmac. Was Adan on set for any of that, or was it Hollywood magic?
RENSHAW | It was Hollywood magic.
KWOK | Yeah. But we wanted it to be brief so that we could have the essence of him without going too far.
RENSHAW | And he was along on the process. He was aware of the story we were telling and was kind of honored to have the season still revolve around him with the option of him coming back. So it was him, but it was not him on the set.
TVLINE | The episode ends without telling us what happened to Arman, but we saw in a previous Season 3 trailer that Nadia is crying as a body bag is getting zipped up. Should we make the obvious assumption about Arman’s fate?
KWOK | Well, that we cannot tell you, for sure. [Laughs]
RENSHAW | We can’t tell you!
TVLINE | That’s fair!
KWOK | Definitely a spoiler.
RENSHAW | But there will be many twists and turns along the way! That’s what we can tell you.
Want scoop on The Cleaning Lady, or for any other TV show? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
RIP Adan Canto. You are very missed. :(
I just found out about Adan Canto and I’m very sad because he was an amazing actor in his portrayal of Arman. He was the main reason I was excited to see season three. You will be missed so very much!
Loved Adan Cantù’s Arman, such a sad loss for his family and his creative family…kudos to writers & production, the first episode was so well done.. this show is one of the best dramas on TV.. they make us us feel like he’s still. with us.
Just so sad that he passed away so young. He’ll definitely be missed on this show.
I have watched The Cleaning Lady since it debuted and every episode has been superb.
Adan Canto was a great actor, so handsome and mesmerizing.
His character Arman was such a big part of the show and his absence was felt.
Arman and Nadia made a gorgeous couple.
However, Arman and Thony had such strong chemistry and I was hoping that they’d be together.
I’m curious as to how they will explain Arman’s disappearance in the upcoming episodes.
Ridiculous plot……
I was disappointed by how they handled his death. They flashed that note about the dedication of this season to him for like 2 seconds at the end. This guy was the leading man of the tv series and he only got 2 seconds. Perhaps a photo of him or a little montage would have been nice like how Call Me Kat handled Leslie Jordan’s untimely death would have been nice. Canto died several months ago so something like that could have been added at the end for someone who was a major part of the series.
They had already started when he died. The first few episodes where set up for him to come back if he was feeling better. They could only do so much.
Leslie Jordan was around for quite bit longer than Canto. They also had the time to do something for the show. Unfortunately here, we’re talking about a season that was cut down due to the strikes. The show was already in production when Canto died.
I know it was already in production. The point is, they could have had more than a 2 second blip on the screen. At least give it 5 seconds or more. Yes, Leslie Jordan had a long career but he was a minor character on the show. Canto was the leading male star of the show and deserved more than a blink and miss blurb. Hopefully they will give him real justice before the season ends.
I think it’s likely a plot thing. If they gave him a large tribute at the beginning of the season then went “oh no is Arman dead or alive” then it wouldn’t make sense for the storyline. My guess is that they will build the season upto his death and do a tribute then to both him and his character (like what Riverdale did with Luke Perry when they delayed his tribute episode for plot reasons).
Continued love and healing to Adan’s family and friends. He was truly enjoyable to watch in the role. The show won’t be the same.
Adan is so so so missed… 🩵
I haven’t seen 3×01 yet but if the search for Arman is gonna be on for more episodes, it’s gonna be truly heartbreaking, I mean, knowing that obviously there’s no happy ending :(
I loved Arman. I am so sorry for the loss of this talented Actor.
God bless his family.
Underwhelmed by season opener– think this will be the show’s last season.
Wow he was just so beautiful. Totally perfect to look at. R.I.P. and condolences to his family, friends and fans!
Reading about Mr. Canto’s passing really breaks my heart. Such a great actor and seemed like a genuinely nice person. Condolences to his family. God bless, Linda R., Riverside, CA.
Rest In Peace🙏🙏🙏Adan Canto you will be missed.
We all love the Cleaning Lady now what will happen to the show now that Armon is gone. GOD BLESS Adan..we are so sorry to hear he has passed away..He was a Fantastic Actor…Thoughts n Prayers to his Family..💔
I was impressed by the late actor Adan Canto role in the series, The Cleaning Lady. He captured my attention with his demeanor in the role he was portraying. Although he was playing per say, a bad guy, you could see underneath a guy who has a deep heart and a sense of feeling for others & wants to help. I was stricken hearing of his death. I will be in prayer for his wife & children.
I miss the chemistry between Arman & Thony, the anticipation of their attraction to one another. I was hopeful this season they’d finally get together. The show just isn’t the same without him.
This is so sad he was a major roll in the show he will certainly be missed,
hoping this does not end the show it is such a wonderful show I’m on needles and pins waiting for the next episode.
Sorry to hear about Adan Canto. We will miss him in the show. God bless.
Adan so sorry 😞 you are in my prayers. MISS YOU. LOVED WATCHING YOU AND Torny. So young to leave us.R.I.P.
CAROLANN
Just learned about his fate..so sorry..He will be missed..I love this show..do not know how I will feel watching it without his character ?