Soap opera actor Francisco San Martin was found dead at his Los Angeles home last Thursday at the age of 39.
A report from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office determined San Martin died by suicide, deeming his cause of death to be from “ligature hanging.”
San Martin appeared on the daytime TV series “Days of Our Lives” from 2010 to 2011, playing a suspected thief who turned out to be investigating an unsolved murder during his 59-episode run as character Dario Hernandez.
The actor also appeared on the CBS soap “The Bold and the Beautiful” for 16 episodes in 2017.
In the world of prime-time TV, he played a suave telenovela star for a seven-episode story arc on The CW sitcom “Jane the Virgin.”
Along with acting, San Martin spoke about his passion for volunteering with the arts nonprofit Art of Elysium.
“This can be such a self-absorbed industry,” he said during a 2016 interview with AfterBuzz TV’s “Spotlight On.” “When you give back and you do [things] for good, it’s amazing.”
Following news of San Martin’s death, his “Days of Our Lives” co-star, Camila Banus, mourned her on-screen brother in a post on her Instagram story.
“Pepe, what can I say but I love you and rest in peace, my friend,” she wrote. “Love you mucho mucho mucho; I wish I had told you more.”
San Martin was born on Spain’s island of Mallorca in 1985 but raised in Montana, according to Forbes.
He began acting in children’s theater during his early years but got his professional start working as a model after moving to Madrid to be with his family, Forbes reported.
That time in front of the camera led him to take acting classes, which subsequently landed him roles in several Spanish TV and film productions.
San Martin got his big break on “Days of Our Lives” not long after moving back to the States, but once said that working in Hollywood was not an easy adjustment.
During an interview at the 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards with MaximoTV, San Martin said that “it’s been kind of hard to get used to” the attention “because I’m a really lay-low kind of guy.”
“But you know that they just like you as a public figure,” he added.
He talked about fame more in his 2016 “Spotlight On” interview, saying, “It took a lot to get used to for me. I know some people bask in it, but it’s very strange to me.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.