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David Canary, ‘All My Children’ actor, dies at 77

Actor David Canary, seen in 2009, has died at 77.

Actor David Canary, seen in 2009, has died at 77.

(Lorenzo Bevilaqua / Associated Press)
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Associated Press

Longtime soap opera actor David Canary, best known for his role as twin brothers on “All My Children,” died Nov. 16 of natural causes at his home in Wilton, Conn., said a representative of the Bouton Funeral Home. Canary was 77.

His career spanned more than five decades, with appearances in the films “Hombre” and “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” before he had TV roles on “Peyton Place” and “Bonanza.” In December 1983, he joined the cast of “All My Children” as twins Adam and Stuart Chandler. Playing the brothers — one evil and the other good-hearted — brought Canary his greatest fame and five Daytime Emmy Awards.

“For more than two decades David Canary defined daytime drama on ABC,” the network wrote in a statement Tuesday. “Our hearts go out to his family and we mourn his passing.”

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Despite his popularity on the show, Canary shunned the spotlight and preferred to live quietly with his wife and family.

“At the risk of being misunderstood, I’m a real private person,” Canary told the Associated Press in a 1993 interview. “I don’t make appearances. I don’t do fan magazine interviews. My wife and our two children live in a little town in Connecticut, where most of the people don’t watch the show and, if they do, don’t make a big deal out of it.”

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The actor was at first reluctant to take a role on a daytime soap opera. But after getting a chance to play a madman on “The Doctors,” Canary spent two years on the soap “Another World.”

Then came the opportunity to join “All My Children.”

“I was reluctant to even sign a two-year contract,” he said in 1993. “That seemed like a long, long time.

Canary remained on the show until 2011.

In addition to onscreen roles, Canary also performed on stage, appearing in on- and off-Broadway musicals and dramas.

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Born in Indiana, Canary grew up in Massillon, Ohio, and went on to play football at the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated with a major in music.

Canary is survived by his wife, two children and a grandchild.

news.obits@latimes.com

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