Patrick Muldoon’s sudden death at 57 has left Hollywood, soap fans, and people who knew him personally struggling to take in the shock, with Denise Richards said to be especially devastated by the loss.
The actor, remembered for ‘Days of Our Lives’, ‘Melrose Place’, and ‘Starship Troopers’, reportedly died on April 19 after suffering a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home. What makes the loss hit even harder is how ordinary the morning seemed at first. According to accounts shared by those close to him, Muldoon had been having coffee with his partner, Miriam Rothbart, before heading to the bathroom to shower. When he did not come back, Rothbart went to check on him and found him collapsed on the floor. She reportedly called emergency services and tried to revive him, but by the time paramedics arrived, it was too late.
Denise Richards and Those Closest to Him Are Said to Be Devastated
Among those hit hardest is Denise Richards, who dated Muldoon on and off in the 1990s after the two met in acting class. Though the romance ended long ago, they reportedly stayed close for decades and remained part of each other’s lives. That history is why his death is said to have left her inconsolable.
The timing makes it even sadder. Muldoon had recently appeared with Richards at the 2026 Saturn Awards, a moment that would become his final public appearance. The two were also set to reunite onscreen in the upcoming thriller ‘Dirty Hands’, which now carries an entirely different emotional weight.
His family is also said to be shattered. Muldoon’s sister, Shana Muldoon Zappa, reportedly described his death as an “unbelievable nightmare,” saying there had been no visible sign anything was wrong. Family members rushed to the home after hearing what happened, only to be met with the reality that he was already gone. In the middle of the panic, his father reportedly fell and fractured his shoulder while trying to reach him, adding yet another painful turn to an already devastating day.
Fans Are Mourning More Than a Familiar Face
Muldoon’s death has also hit fans of ‘Days of Our Lives’ especially hard. For many viewers, he will always be Austin Reed, the role he originated in 1992 before later returning to the soap years after his original run ended. Others remember him as the slick Richard Hart on ‘Melrose Place’ or from the cult sci-fi favorite ‘Starship Troopers’.
But the reaction pouring in suggests people are mourning more than the characters he played. Fans have described him as warm, humble, charming, and unusually down-to-earth for Hollywood. Friends and loved ones echoed that image too, remembering him as someone who lit up a room, loved music, adored animals, and made people feel instantly welcome. He was also a musician, fronting The Sleeping Masses, and had built a parallel career as a producer on films including ‘The Tribes of Palos Verdes’, ‘Arkansas’, ‘Marlowe’, and ‘The Card Counter’.
That fuller picture is part of why this loss feels so cruel. Patrick Muldoon was not being remembered as a faded TV face from another era. He was still working, still making things, still showing up for people, and still expected to have more ahead of him.
For Denise Richards, for his family, and for longtime fans who grew up watching him, that is what makes the shock linger. It was not just sudden. It feels unfinished.
