Patrick Muldoon passed away on April 19, 2026, at the age of 57, due to a heart attack.
He was best known for starring in Melrose Place, Days of Our Lives, and Starship Troopers. He was also a musician and lead singer for the band The Sleeping Masses, which he formed with Neil Ives.
Minutes after Muldoon’s manager confirmed the actor’s demise to news outlets, fans flooded his last couple of social media posts with heartfelt messages.
“RIP Patrick, it breaks my heart to see the news,” one person said. “The world has lost a remarkable man!”
Netizens and co-actors paid tribute to Patrick Muldoon after he succumbed to a heart attack
Image credits: Getty/Rodin Eckenroth
Two days before his passing, Muldoon shared a post on his Instagram announcing his involvement in a new film titled Kockroach.
On April 10, he posted a video of himself playing guitar at a family dinner as his partner, Miriam Rothbart, and others sang along.
After his demise, users flocked to pay their tribute in the comments of the posts.
“Grew up watching you in Starship Troopers. R.I.P legend,” one user said. Another wrote, “My heart is shattered.”
A third said, “You will be missed, thank you for your amazing talent!”
“The world has lost the most beautiful spark… life is going to be a lot less bright without you,” a fourth user voiced.
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A fifth penned, “I was hoping it wasn’t true. He will be missed. Prayers for family and friends.”
“This is a beautiful and lasting memory for your family to carry,” a fan commented under the video of the family gathering.
Image credits: shanazappa
Celebrity astrologer David Lawrence Palmer, known online as The Leo King, wrote, “I will miss you so much, brother, my heart skipped a beat, you will never be forgotten.”
“My heart sank. Sending so much love & light,” wrote actress Barbie Castro.
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Actor Jack Getman, who worked with Muldoon on the 2016 horror flick Little Dead Rotting Hood, posted a photo with the late star at the movie’s red carpet.
“RIP Patrick Muldoon,” Getman wrote. “I worked with him when I was 8 on Little Dead Rotting Hood — a great guy and always kept the energy light.”
Image credits: thepatrickmuldoon
Actor Antonio Sabato Jr. wrote on Instagram: “Heartbroken to hear about Patrick Muldoon’s passing at just 57. A talented actor and a true friend, he brought so much joy to those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him. His spirit will be deeply missed. RIP, my pal brother, and just a great guy!”
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Muldoon is survived by his partner, Rothbart; parents Deanna and Patrick Muldoon, Sr.; sister and brother-in-law Shana and Ahmet Zappa; niece Halo and nephew Arrow Zappa.
Patrick Muldoon was “excited” for his new project co-starring Chris Hemsworth
Image credits: Getty/Michael Tullberg
On April 18, Muldoon shared a screenshot of a Deadline article about Kockroach and revealed that he was an executive producer on the movie, along with Phil Kim and Patrick Hibler.
“So excited to be a part of this amazing project, KOCKROACH, directed by Matt Ross, starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz, and Alec Baldwin,” he wrote in the caption.
The film is based on William Lashner’s 2007 novel of the same name.
The book, which Lashner wrote under the pseudonym Tyler Knox, is a reimagining of Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella The Metamorphosis.
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In the book, instead of the human protagonist being transformed into an insect, a cockroach wakes up in 1950s New York City, only to find that he has been transformed into a human.
On April 14, Hemsworth shared two photos from his first day on set for the movie, which is being filmed in Australia.
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Muldoon’s last onscreen work was writer-director Kevin Interdonato’s indie crime feature Dirty Hands, set to be released in the U.S. on April 24, according to Deadline. The film reunited Muldoon with his ex-girlfriend and Starship Troopers co-star Denise Richards.
Patrick Muldoon addressed rumors of having feelings for Denise Richards years after their split
Image credits: Getty/JB Lacroix
Patrick Muldoon and Denise Richards dated on-and-off for five years in the late 1990s and remained close friends after their breakup.
In March 2025, Richards starred as the love interest in Muldoon’s music video for his song Gray Again. The behind-the-scenes details of the video were discussed in the March 2025 episode of her reality series, Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, titled Video Killed the Movie Star.
Her eldest kid, Sami Sheen, said in the episode that the music video made her think Muldoon still had feelings for Richards.
“He’s very flirty with her, I’m not gonna lie,” the 22-year-old said. “I don’t want to get him in trouble, but I feel like he might still have feelings for my mom. Just an idea.”
Later in the episode, Richards asked her husband, Aaron Phypers, who was also present on the set, if her kissing scenes with Muldoon bothered him.
Image credits: thepatrickmuldoon
“No, not in that setting,” he explained. “If I’m driving to a restaurant and you’re s*cking lips with somebody else, it’d be f*cking weird.”
Phypers filed for divorce in July 2025. According to court documents, Richards accused Phypers of domestic violence as she requested a temporary restraining order against him.
In October 2025, Muldoon shared on an episode of iHeartRadio’s MisSPELLING podcast that he and Richards were just friends.
“We dated on and off in the ’90s, but since then, it’s been just friendship,” he told guest host Elisa Donovan.
Image credits: Getty/Steve Granitz
“The thing about Denise and me is everybody thinks we met on Starship Troopers, but we met in acting class when she was 19, and I was 21,” he added. “We both don’t come from entertainment families, and our families got to know each other over the years and kind of checked in with each other on navigating the crazy stuff that we all go through.”
He also revealed that he had been dating Rothbart for two years at that point.
“57 is way too young.” Social media mourned Patrick Muldoon’s sudden demise
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