Halle Berry mourns the loss of her late X-Men costar Adan Canto after his death at 42: ‘Forever in my heart’

Halle Berry wrote a heartfelt tribute to Adan Canto, who died on Monday at the age of 42 after a battle with appendiceal cancer.

Following the devastating news of her late X-Men costar’s death, the Oscar winner, 57, revealed she “doesn’t have the words yet” to express her heartbreak.

“My dear friend Adan just got his wings,” she captioned a photo of Canto. ‘Forever, forever in my heart.’

The pair recently worked on the 2020 sports drama Bruised, which she starred in and directed. In the film, he portrayed her character’s manager, Desi.

Their paths previously crossed professionally on the set of X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014.

Berry played the Marvel character Storm while playing the fictional superhero Sunspot.

Her comments section was flooded with condolences from fans, who expressed their “deepest condolences.”

“My condolences for your loss, Halle. May he have eternal peace,” said writer Lalah Delia.

Another wrote: ‘So sad I remember you both were in Bruised and X-Men Days of future past together.’

Her message came hours after the world learned of the Mexican-American actor’s death.

He was best known for his role as Vice President-elect Aaron Shore opposite Kiefer Sutherland in Designated Survivor.

Canto, who transitioned from a successful music career in Mexico to a leading man in Hollywood, recently starred in the TV series The Cleaning Lady, playing a lead character for the first two seasons.

“Adan had a depth of mind that few really knew. Those who glimpsed it were forever changed,” Canto representatives said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed by so many.”

Fox and WBTV — the network and studio behind The Cleaning Lady — also released a statement Tuesday saying, “We are heartbroken by the passing of Adan Canto. He is a wonderful actor and dear friend and we were honored to have him as part of the Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment families since his American debut in The Following more than a decade ago.

‘He recently 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 with his wife Stephanie, their children and loved ones. We will miss Adan very much.’

Many took to social media to pay tribute to the talented star, including one who wrote on X (formally Twitter): ‘My heart goes out to everyone in The Cleaning Lady crew and their family and friends. I really enjoyed seeing him on that show and he will be missed. RIP Adan Canto.”

Another was completely devastated by the news as they said: ‘This just knocked the breath right out of my body. I’m stunned and on the edge of hyperventilating. F*** cancer for taking way too many greats and being so young too. RIP Adan Canto. What an enormous talent. My heart aches for his loved ones. [dove emoji]’

Yet another shared: “I am so heartbroken. Adan Canto was one of my favorite actors. Fell in love with him from the moment he appeared on screen as Arman Morales. Literally irreplaceable talent.’

Originally from Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, and raised in Texas, Canto left his hometown at the age of 16 to explore opportunities as a musician in Mexico City.

Soon after, his focus shifted to acting when he was discovered for a major role in the 2013 series The Following.

Canto talked about his transition to acting in an interview with Collider in February 2013, he said: ‘I never said I wanted to be an actor as a child. I did not know. I thought I was going to be a singer and musician.

“That’s what I’ve done for a lot of my life. But music just didn’t work in Mexico. So I started acting and I just fell in love with it. It was amazing! It was a great safe place to vent. And then I discovered that I could really do this and I saw a future in it.

‘I could apply everything I was always interested in to this area. So I just got into it, and it worked out.”

In January 2022, Canto discussed what it was like transitioning his career from Mexico to the US while trying not to be typecast.

He told Observer at the time: ‘TTo be honest, I don’t know if I had developed a specific strategy to navigate this. I was just honest with myself and my team the whole way through. There were obviously certain characters or scripts that I read and immediately thought, “Of course not! No!”

‘I know the Northern Mexican culture [because] I grew up in it, so I can tell when someone goes out of their way to imagine a reality that is far from it [the actual] reality, so I stuck to the honesty within myself.

“I didn’t want to do anything that didn’t sound or feel right, and I think I’ve been blessed with good opportunities and I’ve fought for other opportunities that weren’t necessarily given to me.”

For the past two years, Canto played the role of gangster Arman Morales opposite Élodie Yung in The Cleaning Lady.

It was reported that he would join season 3, despite being unable to participate in filming when it began in December after the strikes ended.

In film, Canto is probably most recognized for his portrayal of Sunspot in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past

Canto stepped behind the camera and directed his first short film in 2014, followed by another in 2020.

Canto is survived by his wife, Stephanie Ann Canto, and their two young children, Roman Alder, three, and Eve Josephine, one.

On his last Instagram post on June 19, 2022, he shared a photo of his beautiful family with the caption: “Happy Father’s Day! I am blessed to have mine.”