Patrick Muldoon, the actor best known for starring as a hunky boxer on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and for playing a villainous fashion designer on the 1990s prime-time drama “Melrose Place,” died on Sunday in his Beverly Hills home. He was 57.
His sister, Shana Muldoon Zappa, said the cause was a heart attack.
Mr. Muldoon rose to fame in 1992 when he landed the role of the handsome Austin Reed on “Days of Our Lives,” which premiered in 1965 on NBC and follows various characters from families in the fictional Midwestern town of Salem.
Mr. Muldoon’s character was known for being in the middle of a love triangle between the sweet, good-hearted Carrie Brady (who was played by Tracy Middendorf and also Christie Clark), and her devious sister, Sami Brady, played by Alison Sweeney.
For his work, Mr. Muldoon won the Soap Opera Digest Award for outstanding male newcomer in 1994.
He portrayed the character until 1995 and later reprised the role in 2011 and 2012. In all, he appeared in nearly 500 episodes of the series.
William Patrick Muldoon III was born in the Los Angeles waterfront neighborhood of San Pedro, Calif., to Patrick Muldoon Sr., a maritime lawyer, and Deanna Petrov, an artist, according to his sister.
He is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart, his parents and his sister.
He attended Loyola High School, an all-boys Catholic school, according to his sister, and then went on to the University of Southern California where he played football, according to the university.
While at the university, he became a model for the Wilhelmina Agency.
In the early 1990s as he transitioned into acting, he found small roles on ABC’s “Who’s the Boss?” and the NBC Saturday morning high school series “Saved by the Bell.”
After “Days of Our Lives,” Mr. Muldoon played the wicked fashion designer Richard Hart on the popular Aaron Spelling nighttime soap “Melrose Place.”
One of his story lines involved being a love interest to Jane Andrews Mancini (Josie Bissett), a fellow designer whom he betrayed professionally by stealing her clients and whom he sexually assaulted.
Mr. Muldoon appeared on the show in 1995 and 1996.
Science-fiction fans became familiar with Mr. Muldoon after he played Zander Barcalow in the 1997 campy space-alien invasion film “Starship Troopers,” with Denise Richards and Casper Van Dien.
In the following years, Mr. Muldoon had various parts in television and films, including romantic and holiday movies on the Hallmark and Lifetime networks.
He also worked as a producer in several features, including “The Card Counter” (2021), “Marlowe” (2022) and “Riff Raff” (2024).
“I like to think of myself as a guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously but always takes the fun seriously,” Mr. Muldoon said of himself on his website. “Whether I’m dodging explosions, saving Christmas or just popping up in unexpected places, I’m here to entertain, surprise and maybe make you laugh.”
Last year, he appeared on the Bravo reality series “Denise Richards and Her Wild Things,” where they reminisced about their previous romance, their longtime friendship and their work on “Starship Troopers.”
Mr. Muldoon, who was also a musician, featured Ms. Richards as the love interest in a music video.
His latest acting credit was for the crime thriller film “Dirty Hands” with Ms. Richards and Michael Beach. The film was expected to be released this month.
Two days before he died, Mr. Muldoon said on social media that he was “so excited to be a part of this amazing project,” referring to an upcoming film, “Kockroach,” starring Chris Hemsworth and Alec Baldwin.
Alain Delaquérière contributed research.
Johnny Diaz is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news from Miami.
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