Beloved Irish actor Michael Patrick dies after devastating neurodegenerative illness at just 35
Michael Patrick, the Irish theater actor and familiar face on British television, has passed away. He was 35.
Patrick died in the Northern Ireland Hospice after a three-year battle with motor neuron disease, a rare neurodegenerative disorder, his wife Naomi Sheehan posted on Instagram Wednesday, April 8.
"He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends," Sheehan wrote. "Words can’t describe how broken-hearted we are."
Patrick’s longtime writing partner, Oisín Kearney, confirmed his death in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday.
"Michael was an actor of epic proportions. He was able to make an audience laugh or cry in an instant. As a writer, he could express the knife-edge of comedy and tragedy that is human experience," Kearney wrote. "Michael dealt with his diagnosis with bravery and humility, showed us how we can do better when it comes to disabilities, and he could always make you smile. I am so proud to call him my creative partner and even prouder to say he was my friend."
The Belfast-based actor, called "Mick" by loved ones, trained at the University of Cambridge in England and performed with the Cambridge Footlights comedy troupe, according to his IMDb biography. With Kearney, he cowrote and performed the one-man show "My Left Nut" based on his teen years, which went on to become an award-winning television miniseries on BBC Three. His other stage credits include several Shakespearean plays.
In 2016, Patrick guest-starred as the Wildling Rioter in a Season 6 episode of "Game of Thrones," "The Broken Man." He went on to guest star on various British TV shows, including "Krypton," "Soft Border Patrol," "The Keeper," "Bravery Under Fire" and a number of TV films and miniseries.
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In 2024, he starred in "This Town," a BBC 1 coming of age drama from "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight, as Bonny.
Patrick and Kearney wrote several plays and BBC radio series together, including the sci-fi audio drama series "Bitter Pill."
Motor neuron, or neorone, disease is a group of rare disorders that destroy the motor neurons that control the muscle movements needed for breathing, speaking, swallowing and walking, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can lead to disability or death, and there is no cure.
In revealing his diagnosis in February 2023, the actor made note that his "authentic limp" was perfect for theater roles as Richard III or Tiny Tim. "I’m trying to put a pretty positive spin on all this, but it’s still really really grim," he added.
Following his diagnosis, Patrick and Kearney wrote and created the short film-to-series pitch "So You’re Going to Die" and the one-man show "My Right Foot" about his illness.
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In February, the actor posted on X, revealing his neurologist had given him one year to live, and that he was hoping a drug trial for his disorder would buy him more time.
Sheehan, who married Patrick months after his diagnosis, remembered her late husband as a "titan of a ginger haired man" and "an inspiration to everyone who was privileged enough to come into contact with him."
"Mick loved this quote from [Irish poet] Brendan Behan and this feels appropriate now: ’The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you,’" she wrote. "So, don’t overthink it. Eat. Drink. Love."
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