Patrick Muldoon, the actor and producer best known for his roles in Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, died suddenly Sunday, April 19, following a heart attack. He was 57. His manager confirmed the news to Variety.
Muldoon was born in San Pedro, California, and graduated from USC, where he was a member of the Trojans football team. He began acting while still in college, landing a two-episode arc on the sitcom Who’s the Boss?
Shortly after graduating in 1991, Muldoon landed a recurring role as Jeffrey Hunter on the teen series Saved by the Bell, marking his first notable television credit.
From 1992 to 1995, he originated the role of Austin Reed on NBC’s daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives — a role that resonated so strongly with audiences that he was brought back to reprise it from 2011 to 2012.
In 1995, he joined the primetime soap Melrose Place, playing villain Richard Hart through 1996 and demonstrating a range that extended well beyond his daytime roots.
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In 1997, Muldoon starred as Zander Barcalow in director Paul Verhoeven’s cult sci-fi film Starship Troopers, cementing his place in Hollywood’s pop culture canon. The film remains a touchstone of the genre nearly three decades later.
In recent years, Muldoon had been building a significant second act as a producer through his production company Storyboard Productions. His producing credits include The Tribes of Palos Verdes, Arkansas, Marlowe, The Card Counter, The Dreadful, and Riff Raff.
Just two days before his death, Muldoon posted on Instagram expressing his excitement about his next project — “Kockroach”, starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz, and Alec Baldwin, directed by Matt Ross and currently filming in Australia.
“This news is an incredible loss for the industry. Patrick was a creative force on both sides of the camera. His work on a project of the scale of Kockroach would have been a defining chapter in his legacy,” a close collaborator told Variety.
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Beyond acting and producing, Muldoon was a devoted musician. He served as lead singer of the band The Sleeping Masses and was frequently seen with a guitar in hand at industry gatherings. Those close to him remembered him as “endlessly generous — with his poetry, his humor, and his unmistakable presence,” adding that he “loved animals and people alike, gave unforgettable hugs, and possessed a rare quality of making others feel safe and seen.”
Hollywood journalist and insider Jeff Sneider was among the first to pay tribute on X, writing:
“R.I.P. Starship Troopers actor Patrick Muldoon, who I understood to be a real mensch. He died unexpectedly this morning of a heart attack at 57. His passing is incredibly sad, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.”
Muldoon’s last acting role was in “Dirty Hands”, an upcoming crime thriller co-starring Denise Richards and Michael Beach. The film is slated for release later this month.
Muldoon is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart; his parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr.; his sister and brother-in-law, Shana and Ahmet Zappa; and their children, his niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa.
Sajan Kumar contributed to writing this article.
