Alan Dysert, Sean Cudahy on 'All My Children,' dies at 75 after long cancer fight

Alan Dysert, the actor who played the scheming but funny con man Sean Cudahy on ABC’s All My Children, has died. He was 75.

His wife, Michele Dysert, announced the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, Oct. 25, writing that her husband “passed away on October 23, 2026.” The news drew wide attention from longtime soap fans on Monday as outlets including Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and People reported his death.

What we know about his death

Michele Dysert did not give a cause of death. In his 2023 autobiography, Lights, Camera, Cancer!, Dysert wrote that he had been diagnosed with a “rare, aggressive and incurable cancer,” according to Deadline. The book’s synopsis described “four major cancer-related surgeries, one recurrence, many rounds of chemotherapy and 29 CT scans to date.” The Hollywood Reporter said he had dealt with the disease for more than a dozen years.

In her post, Michele wrote that Alan “faced more than his share of health challenges over the years, yet he continued to approach life with determination, humor, and gratitude.”

“Alan had an incredible gift for storytelling, a wonderful sense of humor, an adventurous spirit, and a personality that could fill any room.” (Michele Dysert, via Facebook)

She added that he had asked his family and friends to celebrate his life rather than mourn his passing.

Who was Sean Cudahy?

On All My Children, Sean Cudahy was the devious, humorous brother of the show’s good guy, Tom Cudahy, played by Richard Shoberg. The contrast between the two brothers made Sean a memorable villain in Pine Valley.

The exact dates of his run differ slightly by outlet:

“My scenes are written better than stuff on nighttime TV,” Dysert told People in a 1981 interview, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. “This is such a fun role! I love it.”

From an Illinois farm to daytime TV

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dysert was born on June 12, 1951, and raised on a farm in Oakwood, Illinois. He graduated from Oakwood High School and the University of Illinois, and worked in real estate and did stand-up comedy before landing uncredited roles in a 1978 episode of ABC’s Soap and in Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie (1980).

His wife described him as “an actor, musician, writer, filmmaker, producer, and beloved acting teacher.”

Life after the soap: producer and acting teacher

After All My Children, Dysert moved behind the camera. He wrote, directed, produced and acted in the 2015 film The Senator, The Hollywood Reporter said. Deadline listed producing credits including:

• The Grift
• Becoming Jesse Tate
• The Senator
• My Many Sons
• The Legend of Van Dorn (2026)

He also taught acting in the Nashville area through The Actor’s School, which he founded in 1991. Michele wrote that “thousands of others knew him as the teacher and mentor who encouraged them to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams.”

Survivors

Dysert married Michele in 2008. He is also survived by his sons, Cody and Cooper, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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