'Days of Our Lives' Actor Patrick Muldoon Died Suddenly at 57 — What Was His Cause of Death?

After a career defined by steady work in Hollywood, Patrick Muldoon has died at the age of 57, his manager told Variety. His death was reportedly quite sudden and happened on April 19. Following the news of his death, many wanted to better understand what happened to the actor.

Patrick was best known for his work on soaps like Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, as well as his work in movies like Starship Troopers. Here's what we know about his cause of death.

According to reporting in Deadline, Patrick's cause of death was a heart attack, although we don't have many additional details about what happened past that.

Just two days before his death, Patrick posted a comment on Instagram suggesting that he was excited to start work on a new project. “So excited to be a part of this amazing project KOCKROACH directed by Matt Ross starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Edgerton, Zazzie Beetz, and Alec Baldwin. Filming now in Australia,” he wrote.

Patrick's first claim to fame came in the 1990s when he played Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. He played the character from 1992-1995 before leaving the show, and then returned to reprise his role in 2011.

After leaving Days of Our Lives, Patrick moved on to Melrose Place, where he played the villainous Richard Hart for three seasons. It was around this same time that he played Zander Barcalow in the cult classic Starship Troopers.

He also dated Denise Richards, his co-star in that movie. In the years since the peak of his fame in the 1990s, Patrick has continued to find reliable work in both film and television, even if he never became an A-list star. Anyone who watched him on daytime TV back in the 1990s remembers him fondly, though, and not just because he was so strikingly handsome.

In addition to his career as an actor, Patrick also dabbled in music, releasing singles for songs called "I Believe" and "Gray Again."

Following news of his death, fans and actors alike paid tribute to the working actor, who has appeared in dozens of projects over the course of his more than 30 years in the industry.

In a post on Instagram, actor Jake Getman paid tribute to Patrick following their time working together.

“RIP Patrick Muldoon,” wrote Getman. “Worked with him when I was 8 on Little Dead Rotting Hood — a great guy and always kept the energy light."

Although Patrick and Denise were no longer dating, the two were still quite close, and Patrick had even appeared in some episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alongside her.

For as much as Patrick's death must have upset anyone who recognized him from various roles over the years, it's even more devastating for those who knew him personally. He is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart; his parents, Deanna and Patrick Muldoon, Sr.; sister and brother-in-law, Shana and Ahmet Zappa; niece Halo; and nephew Arrow Zappa.