Francisco San Martin, the talented soap opera actor best known for originating the role of Dario Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, passed away on Jan. 16 at his home.
He was 39.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office confirmed that his death was a suicide by hanging, as per Deadline.
Born on Aug. 27, 1985, in Mallorca, San Martin’s stint on Days of Our Lives lasted six months in 2011.
He initially appeared as a petty thief, but his character’s storyline soon expanded, revealing that he had come to Salem to investigate a cold case. His character, Dario Hernandez, later moved to Argentina for a job promotion.
The role was subsequently taken over by Jordi Vilasuso from 2016 to 2017.
In addition to his role on Days, San Martin had a memorable arc in 2017 on The Bold and the Beautiful as Mateo, a dashing groundskeeper at Forrester Manor who became entangled in one of Sheila’s schemes.
His television career also included a recurring role on Jane the Virgin, where he portrayed Fabian Regalo del Cielo, an actor on Rogelio’s telenovela who had a brief but tumultuous relationship with Jane, played by Gina Rodriguez.
He appeared in both Seasons 3 and 4 of the show.
Several media outlets, including Forbes, reported that San Martin’s Days co-star Camila Banus, who played his on-screen sister Gabi, paid tribute to him on Instagram.
She wrote, “Pepe, what can I say but I love you and rest in peace, my friend,” adding, “Love you mucho mucho mucho; I wish I had told you more.”
