Patrick Muldoon, the former hunky boxer who stepped into the spotlight as Austin Reed on NBC’s long‑running soap Days of Our Lives, died Sunday at 57 from a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home. The actor’s death was confirmed by his sister, Shana Muldoon Zappa, and the show’s production team. Muldoon had appeared in more than 400 episodes, earning a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer in 1994.

Muldoon’s career launched in 1992 when he joined the cast of Days, quickly becoming central to a love triangle between Carrie Brady and her sister Sami. After leaving the soap in 1995, he turned to prime‑time roles, playing villainous designer Richard Hart on Aaron Spelling’s Melrose Place and starring as Zander Barcalow in the 1997 sci‑fi hit Starship Troopers.

Beyond acting, Muldoon produced films such as The Card Counter (2021), Marlowe (2022), and Riff Raff (2024). His final project, the crime thriller Dirty Hands, was slated for release this month, while he promoted an upcoming feature, Kockroach, starring Chris Hemsworth and Alec Baldwin. Muldoon’s sudden passing leaves a void in Hollywood’s mid‑career talent pool.