David Canary (All My Children & Bonanza) dies at age 77

The biggest ham on daytime tv who had delusions of gravitas. Rest in peace though.

I'm going to throw myself on his coffin.

This thread isn't about Erika Slezak, R1.

Q: What was on his iPod?

A: "Workin' in a Coal Mine"

Is Stuart still living?

From the obit in a local papers it would seem he had Alzheimer's (a horrific disease). It mentions he was living an assisted living facility and requested donations be made his name to the Alzheimer’s Association. He seemed "off" in his brief appearance on the AMC reboot also and had only a few lines.

Alzheimer's before the age of 77? A W F U L. Man, I hope one of the New York tabloids covers is NYC memorial service... who from AMC and OLTL will attend and speak?!

There were rumors while AMC was still on ABC that Canary had Alzheimer's, and that that was the real reason for killing off Stuart. Acting opposite himself was too much of a strain.

He was good on All My Children but he single handedly ruined Bonanzaa.

I stopped watching AMC/OLTL years ago but I remember him very well. Tough way to go, I hope his family was with him.

He was great on AMC, very entertaining

Alzheimer's before 77 is not uncommon.

Yep, my aunt developed it in her late 60s and recently heard a friend of a family is showing signs of it in his early 60s. Having it prior to your 60s is uncommon.

Mary Fickett that played Ruth on AMC also died of Alzheimer's a few weeks before the show went off the air in 2011.

Bonanza never recovered from Pernell Roberts' premature departure IMHO. I loved that man.

David Canary could not compensate.

Pernell Roberts marched with MLK, he was way ahead of his time.

Pernell Roberts was one of my first crushes ever, those were some seriously tight cowboy pants. He was good on that medical show later on, with the younger, hotter actor (who was not as hot as Roberts had been in his youth).

[quote]Pernell Roberts was one of my first crushes ever, those were some seriously tight cowboy pants. He was good on that medical show later on, with the younger, hotter actor (who was not as hot as Roberts had been in his youth). '

Thanks so much for the compliment!

[quote]He was good on All My Children but he single handedly ruined Bonanzaa.

He didn't ruin Bonanza. The producers did that before he ever got there.

I had no idea Pernell Roberts had other people who thought he was hot. Everyone I knew was carrying on about Michael Landon.

Which one of him ??

Alzheimer's used to mean early onset dementia--like before 65. So, yes you can dement well before 77.

There is a form of Alzheimer's that's early onset, which means younger than 65.

I remember reading here that Pernell Roberts was a black man who passed as white.

Has Viki Sleestak released a statement?

I watched pretty sporadically at the end, so the change might have been more apparent to me, but I remember thinking he all of a sudden seemed his age or older. I don't think it helped that they paired him with Annie, who was about 40 years younger. It made him seem old and frail and the pairing made Adam seem foolish. It would have been better if they would have stayed on the route with repairing him with Erica (and we would have been spared Erica and Ryan).

I thought he was entertaining as Adam but thought his portrayal of Stuart was a little overrated (it might have been that the character bugged me. From what I have heard he was a good guy -- much closer to the kind-hearted Stuart in persona than the duplicitous Adamn..

R24, Canary said he was more like Stuart than Adam. I doubt anyone disputed it because people always said he was a sweetheart.

Didn't any of you see my Oscar-winning film about early-onset Alzheimer's, "Still Alice"?

No, Julianne. Some of us knew you couldn't do justice to the material.

His daughter set up a memorial fund on the Alzheimer's Association and confirms he had it. "With your support, you will join in the fight against the disease that took him away from us far too soon."

Interestingly the obit doesn't mention his oldest daughter Lisa from his first marriage, who became a porn star. I guess the whole family was estranged from her. Still a bit cold for them not to mention her, she was still his daughter.

OT but my family went camping with Pernell Roberts every summer decades ago at Shell Beach in CA. He was a very nice man. That is all.

I kept wondering why they were barely using him in the AMC online reboot. Think he was in a total of 3, maybe 4, of the 43 episodes they produced.

Very sorry that he is gone.

He also had a great turn as a short-term villain, Far Wind, a terrorist who held the hospital hostage, on the Doctors in the late 70s. Unfortunately, he was miscast when they hired him to play Steve Frame on Another World in 1981. But within 2 months of AW killing off Steve Frame, AMC hired him to play Adam Chandler.

Pernell Roberts had a hairy chest, seen in the opening of every episode.

Videos of David in this Obit.

Maybe it's because my own father's health is declining, but for some reason this celebrity death is hitting me hard. MARY! I know...but I'm really sad!

Adam was such an intelligent character- hard to think of him slowly losing his mind.

He was one of the anchors of AMC - total professional and a truly a gentleman.

Ironically, Pernell Roberts' character was also named Adam. I have loved that name ever since.

I so want to hear what Vikki Sleestack has to say about this. I remember one year where they both won emmys in the same year for AMC and OLTL so I'm sure that Vikki Sleestack is devastated. Her hubby in real life is about 80 so he could be demented as well.

The Queen of Daytime, Susan Lucci comments:

[quote]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. ❤️

Susan Lucci may be the "Queen of Daytime" in her and your imaginations, R38. Many of us longtime soap watchers don't see her that way at all. There were so many talented women on soaps, but Lucci was not among them. She was a personality, never a talented actor.

Susan is widely considered the most well known face in daytime history (not to mentioned one of the highest paid). But there are certainly plenty of people who consider her to be the Queen. I was joking a bit since I know there are people who don't like her on here. She not my favorite, but can be a good actress at times, when she has something in her range. She had her moments on AMC. She is usually good on Devious Maids, for example.

I don't get "Sleestak" (too mannered and hammy) or "Dee Dee Halls" (just a bad actress) popularity either. Hell Ronn Moss is one of most popular actors worldwide and he is a total shit actor.

R39 there is NO dispute. Susan Lucci is the queen of Daytime Soaps. You are in the minority

btw although AMC has been off the air on ABC for over 4 years, ABC did the classy thing by releasing a statement offering their condolences.

They could have gone "David who?"

Susan Lucci is a joke, R41. A legend in her own mind.

R43 yeah but she is laughing all the way to the bank. Let's face it she is not only the most well known soap star, but the richest.

Who did he play on Bonanza? I forget.

R44 And unlike many other soaps stars, has landed work in primetime after their soaps ended.

R45 He played Candy Canaday, the ranch foreman.

R7: Sweetie, perhaps you're very young?? THere's also early-onset Alzheimer's - in one's 40's. Oh, wait: Julianne Moore did a movie about that, didn't she...

[quote]And unlike many other soaps stars, has landed work in primetime after their soaps ended.

That no one watches. Unlike others who have gone on to star in popular primetime shows and movies.

Candy -- he was kind of replacement when Adam left, but was always kind of a two tier player and not a true replacement.

I know Lucci is not the best actress (although I agree with someone above - she is good at certain things) but she is still best known outside the soap fans and has kept pretty busy since AMC went off the air. I thought she played well off of Canary and after Barr was probably his best pairing. At one time I would have included Liza up there - but Liza went from being his equal to being his victim..

[quote]That no one watches. Unlike others who have gone on to star in popular primetime shows and movies

True -- there are people who spend a few years on soaps and then go on to much bigger fame and are in a different category but off the people who are considered soap actors, Lucci is the best known. She might not be the greatest thespian, but she has worked steadily for 45 years, and she and/or her husband were pretty shrewd about developing her brand.

R48 Well it's about to enter it's 4th season, so enough people are watching. She also had a hosted a show on Investigation Discovery. Not bad for someone who's nearly 70 and spent 4 decades in daytime. Those other actors were at least half Lucci's age when they landed those gigs and weren't as identified as daytime actors, which closes a lot of doors most of the time.

He was great as Adama on Battlestar Galactica.

People say "He or She is the Susan Lucci of BLANK awards"

Right there shows she is the best known soap star.

R49 Canary was one of those rare actors that had chemistry with nearly every actress they paired him up with.

That's too funny, R52. She's known for being a failure.

R54 and she used that to boost her profile and make money off of. Which is why other soap divas can't stand her and she has stolen their thunder.

This is not exactly high art either, but I enjoyed Lucci playing "herself" on Hot in Cleveland. She was good as a foil for Mallack and seemed to have no problem mocking herself - letting herself be called a muppet, pez dispenser etc. She seems to know how to balance the line of poking fun of her soap persona while remaining respectful of the industry.

I agree Canary had good chemistry with everyone -- including Palmer and his kids. I did not watch GH, so maybe Skye becoming a Quartermaine was worth it, but I always thought it was a loss when was no longer a Chandler. That was one "surprise - I am your unknown adult child" relationship that they did not go with the happy ending. They never really did come to terms with each other and had an interesting dynamic. AMC could have used Skye the last few years and less of Kendel and Greenlee. Skye also played well against Brooke and Erica and could have fit well on the canvas (had they not gotten rid of Brooke...)

I've never heard any of the so-called divas bad-mouth her. Do you know of any?

Why do rich people need to constantly do things to make more money? They obviously can't enjoy what they have if they're out money-grubbing all the time.

Compilation of Canary's co-stars commenting on his death.

RIP, David Canary. I loved Adam and Brooke, but he was wonderful with all of his leading ladies.

R57 u must be new around here

I'm not new, R60, but I've never heard any soap divas bad-mouth her. I could imagine them thinking she's crass, but I've never heard of any of them saying it.

The only bad blood I know of is be between her and that Gellar thing.

Erica Kane is no more but Dr. Marlena Evans is very much in the present and as gorgeous as ever!

I can't stand Marlena Evans. She makes Susan Lucci look like she has some class.

[quote]The only bad blood I know of is be between her and that Gellar thing.

Do you mean Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

Yes, r64

R56 She's a good sport on Devious Maids as well, where her characters age, plastic surgery and weight have been joked about.

Before Canary joined AMC he was the back from the dead Steve Frame on AW. That didn't last long.

Julia Barr has commented on David's death.

"David Canary was my TV soul mate! I could not have asked for anything more in an actor or a fellow human being. He was the essence of kindness, a gentleman and my years of playing 'Brooke' to his 'Adam' were a joy! We were all blessed to have him in our lives," Barr said.

Aw, loved Barr and Canary together.

Where is John Callahan? Tom Arnold told Howard Stern he played in a charity softball game with him and when he saw him in the shower later, he was amazed at the size of Callahan's huge cock.

He always creeped me out for some reason.

Julia Barr is a low rent whore.

R70 He still acts. He's aged badly. He was rumored to cheat on Eva LaRue a lot, which lead to their divorce.

He looked 77 at least 25 years before he actually got to that age. He always looked VERY old. I remember on AMC they had him involved with Cady McClain, who played little Dixie Cooney. As I recall, her character got knocked up by his character Adam. That was kind of gross; he looked old enough to be her grandfather.

David Canary had a name that was just MADE for Twitter.

(Oh, and he had great hair, too.)

Before Bonanza, he also appeared in about 30 episodes of prime-time soap Peyton Place as Russ Gehring. What a potboiler that was!

Here's a clip. His part starts about 14 minutes in.

RIP

I cannot believe that Kelly Ripa hasn't mentioned David Canary's death on Live. For shame.

Tad the Cad on his former nemesis:

Knight exclusively spoke with On-Air On Soaps about working with Canary over the years and other fond memories of the pop culture icon.

"David was one of the guys I felt very fondly towards. He was definitely one of the family. I think he and I started on All My Children at exactly the same time. He was the best of us. First of all, he was a known actor. I remember watching David on Bonanza, when I was a kid. He was unbelievably talented and at the same time, humble and generous," Knight recalled, adding, "I remember his Emmy reel one year with scenes between Stuart and Adam, when Stuart's wife on the show died of AIDS. There was a scene at the chapel of the hospital. I remember he was acting his heart out, and my mouth was agape."

Canary is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award winner. Plus, he has been nominated additional times too.

"David was a beautiful guy inside and out. He was professional, and he was the quintessential gentleman," Knight dished, adding, "David and Susan Lucci [Erica Kane] set the tone for us at All My Children. It's a hard job. It would be very easy to behave like a diva. I've done it, but David was not one of those guys. He set a very, very high mark for me, and everybody else."

The soap star had so many other pleasant things to say about Canary as an actor and friend, including, "When the news broke of David's passing it hit all over the country. He is the type of guy where when you learned this, you just sit there for awhile with it very quietly."

"David's passing should be a big deal and written about. He was huge in pop culture for decades. If you knew anything about soaps, you certainly knew who David Canary was. And people who don't know soaps knew who he was! David was a big deal. He still is," Knight declared, noting, "Everybody should be lucky enough to know somebody like him. I can't say it any better than that."

Canary was part of a great set on AMC - Eileen Herlie and James Mitchell.

[quote]Canary was part of a great set on AMC - Eileen Herlie and James Mitchell.

I would add Ruth Warwick to that list. Mary Fickett probably does not get enough due for playing everywoman Ruth.

I know she is not popular here, but Lucci when used properly is part of the mix and ensemble of what gave AMC its character especially when she was balanced by Julia Barr as the other leading lady in her age group.

R80 Oh yes, of course. I just meant in later years, we were still really seeing those three.

I will say that Canary as Adam played one of those characters, like Victor Newman and Roger Thorpe, where the actor was saddled with portraying the same or similar stories over and over and OVER. In the case of Adam Chandler, his story outside of Brooke and Erica was really way too similar. I mean: Younger woman falls for Adam, they marry, she struggles with his power and freaks out/has a breakdown/he fights her or does something destructive. That covers Dixie. And Gloria. And Natalie, and Annie, and, well, I'm sure I'm missing others.

But he still kept things interesting. And Stuart was lovely. It was a very good performance, and he always delineated them so well. (As opposed to Eric Braeden, who has had the same constipated look on his face for 30 years.)

True -- Palmer and Adam were major players for a number of years after Phoebe faded into the background. After about 1990 she was basically just Brooke's opinionated but lovable (they really mellowed and defanged her) aunt who was an occasional talk-to. I don't know if it was because they made the character too kindly or if there was an age issue, but Ruth's line readings became really flat and I am not sure she could play a big scene any longer, which is maybe why her character faded earlier than Palmer and Adamr. In her prime, she was a terror and a force to be reckoned with. Eilreen Herlie was someone who was able to act with real emotion up to the end (and she was looking pretty frail at the end). I am glad they had her fill in as the role of matriarch after Phoebe faded, Mona died, and original Ruth left.

I think it helped that Adam was a bit more multifaceted than Victor Newman (or it could be that Canary was just a better actor and did a better job infusing vulnerability and humor into his character). Canary would also allow Adam to completely lose everything and let his character be villified and battle foes or spar with characters (Palmer, Brooke, Erica) who were not always going to lose to him. From what I have heard, Bradeen likes Victor to always have the upper hand -- which gets boring and makes the character more unlikable.

I agree, R74. When David Canary started on AMC as Adam, I assumed he was in his 50s but he was only in his mid-40s. He started in 1983/1984, so I assumed he'd be in his 80s by now.

That aside, I loved David Canary as Adam. He was so good in the part. I stopped watching soaps in the early 90s when I joined the workforce full-time after college, but I remember the classic AMC storylines with Brooke and Adam as a super couple. It was nice reading what Michael Knight had to say in R78's post. Lovely tribute.

It makes me tear up a bit...I know....MARY!

So many great talents from daytime gone.

Canary, Mitchell, Herlie, Fra Heflin, Helen Wagner, the great Ruth Warrick, Connie Ford...and of course, the magnificent Beverlee McKinsey.

*sob*

QUICK

SOMEONE PUT PEGGY MCCAY AND LIZ HUBBARD IN A BUBBLE!

Watched AMC regularly from about 1975 to 1985. After that, when I joined the workforce after college, I only caught AMC occasionally. I remember one scene in the early 90s where Phoebe and Myrtle were sitting at a table together just chatting away like they were old friends. Mona may have been there too.

I was shaking my head wondering what had happened to Phoebe in the intervening years that she would sit amicably with Myrtle Fargate. Those two were enemies when I'd last watched regularly. Talk about being de-fanged.

R70 Callahan was a regular on Days of Our Lives from about 09-11 as the evil Dr. Baker. He worked mostly with Arianne Zuker (Nicole) and Kristian Alphonso (Hope) on that soap.

Lucci was giving an interview for Joy and went into great length about what a great acting partner David Canary was - and what an authentic person and gentleman. Someone commented on how handsome he was and Lucci agreed saying she used to watch Bonanza when he played Candy and one time they were doing a scene in Canada where David had to ride a horse on some rugged terrain. She said she was admiring how he handled and looked on the horse and she had to tell herself, that is not Candy - that is Adam - you hate him.

Wonder if Lucci ad Canary ever did it?

That was a very nice sentiment from MEK.

He was buffer than Pa!

ah, the five years ago thread bumper strikes again!

He was only 77???? I thought he was 77 fifteen years ago!!

Sorry had to, unfortunately David Canary seems to be all but forgotten.