David Canary, the University of Cincinnati graduate who won a record five Daytime Emmys for “All My Children,” has died at his home in Wilton, CT, at age 77.
One of the first big TV stars from UC, Canary made his soap opera debut as a doctor on “Peyton Place” in 1966. In prime-time, he played Ponderosa ranch foreman Candy Canaday on NBC’s “Bonanza” from 1967 to 1973. He also appeared in other popular prime-time series: “Gunsmoke,” “The FBI,” “Law & Order,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the original “Hawaii Five-0” in 1971.
Canary’s Daytime Emmy honors as best lead actor spanned three decades: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993 and 2001. His five Daytime Emmy wins were a record at the time, says Entertainment Weekly.
He played Adam Chandler or Stuart Chandler on the soap from 1984 to 2010, returned in 2011, and again for a few episodes when the soap moved online in 2013.
The actor was born in David Hoyt Canary in 1938 in Elwood, Ind., northeast of Indianapolis, but grew up in Massillon, Ohio. He played football for the perennial high school powerhouse Massillon Tigers, and earned a football scholarship to UC, according to his obituary in the Wilton (CT) Bulletin. After he earned a degree in music, he turned down an offer from the Denver Broncos to pursue acting. He started his career in theater before going into television. Here’s a link to his TV and movie credits.
