**Legendary Actor Patrick Muldoon, Known for Roles in 'Starship Troopers' and 'Days of Our Lives,' Passes Away at 57**
The beloved actor, whose career spanned over four decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. Patrick Muldoon, who starred in the cult film *Starship Troopers* and the iconic TV shows *Days of Our Lives* and *Melrose Place*, breathed his last breath on Sunday. He was 57.
According to TMZ, Muldoon suffered a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home, which he shared with his girlfriend. The news of his passing has left the entertainment industry in mourning.
From his debut on ABC's *Who's the Boss?* in 1990 to his recurring role on NBC's *Saved by the Bell* in 1991, Muldoon's career was a rollercoaster of heartthrob and cad roles, often even merging the two in his caddish heartthrob portrayals. Born on September 27, 1968, in San Pedro, California, Muldoon attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles and later graduated from USC with a degree in English and communications in 1991. His love for football saw him play for both the Trojans and the high school team. His modeling career also flourished during his college years and beyond.
His big break came when he won the role of Austin Reed on NBC's long-running soap opera *Days of Our Lives*. As the heartthrob Reed, he had a fan-favorite relationship with Christie Clark's Carrie. He reprised the role in the *Days of Our Lives* telefilms *Night Sins* (1993) and *Winter Heat* (1994). After a long absence, he returned as Reed from 2011-2012. (Austin Peck also played Reed in the 1990s and sporadically in the 2000s and 2010s.)
From the nice guy Reed, Muldoon transitioned to play the rakish criminal Richard Hart on Fox's popular 1990s primetime soap *Melrose Place*. He joined the show during its third season in 1995 and remained there until his character's death in season five.
Muldoon's most memorable film role was undoubtedly that of the cocky pilot Zander Barcalow in Paul Verhoeven's cult 1997 sci-fi action film *Starship Troopers*. Zander was the obnoxious rival to Casper Van Dien's Johnny Rico, and he openly pursued Rico's girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards). Securing his place in pop culture, Zander met an iconic death in the film, yelling at the alien Brain Bug, "One day, someone like me is going to kill you and your whole fucking race!" before having his brain sucked out.
Muldoon's other film credits included Rupert Wainwright's *Stigmata* (1999), John Hough's *Bad Karma* (2001), and James Fargo's *Born to Ride* (2011), where he co-starred with Van Dien. On TV, he was a prolific star of telefilms, including *Chain of Command* (2000), *Project Viper* (2002), and *A Boyfriend for Christmas* (2004).
The actor is survived by his partner Miriam Rothbart and his sister Shana Muldoon-Zappa (who is married to Frank Zappa's son Ahmet).
