Patrick Muldoon, the actor who built a loyal following across daytime and primetime television in the 1990s and went on to a career that spanned acting and film producing, died Sunday morning following a sudden heart attack. He was 57.
Muldoon’s sister, Shana Muldoon-Zappa, told TMZ that his girlfriend found him unresponsive in their Beverly Hills home after he failed to emerge from the bathroom. Paramedics responded but were unable to revive him.
Born and raised in San Pedro, California, Muldoon graduated from the University of Southern California, where he played on the Trojans football team. He began picking up acting credits while still in college. His career breakthrough came in 1992 when he originated the role of Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives, a part he played until 1995 and then reprised in 2011 and 2012.
From 1995 to 1996, he moved to primetime, playing the villain Richard Hart on Melrose Place. His biggest film credit followed in 1997: pilot Zander Barcalow in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers. He returned to that world as recently as September 2025, appearing on a cast panel at Los Angeles Comic Con.
Behind the camera, Muldoon built a producing career through his Storyboard Productions, with credits including The Tribes of Palos Verdes, Arkansas, Marlowe, The Card Counter, The Dreadful and Riff Raff.
Tributes arrived quickly from former colleagues. Starship Troopers co-star Casper Van Dien called Muldoon one of his closest friends, describing himself as “deeply saddened, devastated and overwhelmed.” Days of Our Lives co-star Alison Sweeney wrote that Muldoon was “brilliantly talented, endlessly kind, and generous in spirit,” and that he helped put her at ease when she was just starting out on the soap.
Those close to him described Muldoon, known to loved ones as “Bobo,” as a musician and the lead singer of a band called The Sleeping Masses — someone who gave “unforgettable hugs” and made others feel seen. He is survived by his partner Miriam Rothbart; his parents Deanna and Patrick Muldoon Sr.; and his sister Shana, who is married to musician Ahmet Zappa. Their children, Halo and Arrow Zappa, were his niece and nephew.
