Max Cantor, the American actor and journalist best known for playing Robbie in Dirty Dancing , died from a heroin overdose in New York City on October 3, 1991, at age 32.

Quick facts about his death

  • Max Cantor’s official cause of death is listed as a heroin overdose.
  • He died in New York City on October 3, 1991, when he was 32 years old.
  • Several biographies note that he became a heroin addict while researching addiction and writing about drug users.

Context around his work and addiction

  • Cantor had shifted much of his focus from acting to journalism, including work tied to New York’s drug scene and lower east side.
  • Some sources specifically mention that he was working on writing or researching addiction, and that he started using heroin in that context before becoming addicted.

What he was working on at the time

  • At the time of his death, Cantor was reported to be researching and writing a book about Daniel Paul Rakowitz, a cult figure connected to the murder of dancer Monika Beerle.
  • This investigative work placed him close to violent crime and drug culture, which biographies link to the circumstances leading up to his overdose.

Date and place recap

  • Date of death: October 3, 1991.
  • Place of death: New York City, New York, USA.
  • Age at death: 32 years old.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.