‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Melrose Place’ actor dies at 57

The suddenness of Patrick Muldoon’s tragic passing has left a profound, lingering ache that feels strangely, deeply intimate, even to those who only ever knew him through the glow of a television screen. He was never the loudest or most aggressively attention-seeking star in the room, but he was always an enduring, reassuring presence across the media landscape: the steady, handsome romantic lead navigating the drama of Days of Our Lives, the swaggering, brave pilot battling alien bugs in Starship Troopers, and the unexpected, charismatic antagonist stirring up trouble on Melrose Place. His diverse characters effectively aged right alongside his loyal audience, seamlessly moving from a youthful teen heartthrob to a complicated, multi-dimensional grown‑up, beautifully mirroring the relentless passage of time in people’s own everyday lives.