Alan Dysert, the veteran actor best known for playing the scheming Sean Cudahy on All My Children, died on Oct. 23, 2026, at age 75. His wife, Michele, announced his death in a Facebook post on Sunday, Oct. 25. A cause of death was Incurable Cancer.
“My heart is broken as I share that my beloved husband, Alan, passed away on October 23, 2026,” Michele wrote. “While I am struggling to imagine life without him, I am forever grateful to have experienced what so many people spend their lives searching for — the love of a lifetime.”
She noted that Dysert had “faced more than his share of health challenges over the years,” but continued to approach life with “determination, humor, and gratitude.”
Dysert appeared in 79 episodes of All My Children between 1980 and 1990, playing Sean Cudahy, a character defined by deception and manipulation in the fictional town of Pine Valley. The role made him a familiar face in one of America’s most beloved daytime dramas.
He was a father of two sons, Cody and Cooper. Michele asked people to remember her husband with a smile, share a favorite story and celebrate the joy he brought into the world. She also recalled a passage from his autobiography in which he wrote that he wanted his children, grandchildren, family and friends to celebrate his life rather than mourn his passing.
“That was Alan,” Michele wrote. “He understood that life was an adventure, that tomorrow was never guaranteed, and that the greatest treasures weren’t things, but the people and experiences that made life meaningful. So today, even through my tears, I want to honor his wishes and celebrate the remarkable life he lived.”
Born and raised on a farm in rural Illinois, Dysert attended the University of Illinois, where he studied television arts. After graduation, he worked in real estate before pivoting to stand-up comedy. He made his acting debut on Soap in 1978 and booked All My Children shortly afterward.