‘Days of Our Lives' Star Alison Sweeney ‘Heartbroken' Over the Sudden Death of Her Longtime On-Screen Love Interest
Patrick Muldoon, best known for his role on Days of Our Lives, has died at 57 following a reported heart attack, according to Deadline. Now, former co-star Alison Sweeney is paying tribute to her former scene partner.
Muldoon portrayed Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives from July 1992 until April 1995, later returning for a 10-month stint, 16 years later, in 2011.
During his time on the show, Muldoon's character, Austin Reed, was at the center of a popular love quadrangle involving Sweeney's character Sami Brady, her sister Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) and Austin's brother Lucas Roberts (Bryan Dattilo).
As the storyline evolved, Sami's feelings for Austin intensified into an obsessive love, becoming one of the show's most talked about arcs. At one point, she sought guidance from her mother, Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), during the show's infamous devil possession storyline. With ‘her' advice, Sami set out determined to make Austin hers, no matter the cost.
In a controversial storyline, Sami met Austin at the local dive bar, The Cheating Heart, and proceeded to spike his drink. Sami then decided to take advantage of the opportunity and forced him and have sex. Shortly afterwards she also had sex with his brother Lucas. This led to the conception of her son Will Horton, and the popular love quadrangle would run for decades.
Reflecting on Muldoon's passing, Sweeney shared a heartfelt message on her personal X (formerly Twitter) account. "This is such heartbreaking news. Pat was a rare kind of person-brilliantly talented, endlessly kind, and generous in spirit."
She also recalled how he supported her early in her career. "I was so lucky to have worked with him when I first started at Days, he made me feel at ease right away. He brought his unique charm and humor to work every day."
Sweeney concluded her post sharing, "A truly gifted guy, and one who will be profoundly missed."
Days of Our Lives streams new episodes weekdays on Peacock.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 7:27 AM.