Irish actor Michael Patrick, known for his roles in “Game of Thrones” and “This Town,” has passed away after battling motor neurone disease.
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Michael Patrick, an Irish theater actor and star of British television, has died. He was 35 years old.
Patrick passed away in a hospice in Northern Ireland after a three-year battle with motor neuron disease, a rare neurodegenerative disease, his wife Naomi Sheehan posted on Instagram on Wednesday, April 8.
“He was admitted to the hospital 10 days ago and was cared for by an amazing team. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends,” Sheehan wrote. “Words cannot express how much our hearts are broken.”
Patrick’s longtime writing partner, Oisin Carney, confirmed his death in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday.
“Michael was an actor of epic proportions. He could make audiences laugh and cry in the blink of an eye. As a writer, he was able to express the comedic and tragic edges of the human experience,” Carney wrote. “Michael dealt with his diagnosis with courage and humility, showing us how to be better when it comes to his disability, and he always made you smile. I’m so proud to call him my creative partner, and even more proud to say he’s my friend.”
The Belfast-based actor, known as “Mick” by his loved ones, trained at England’s Cambridge University and performed with comedy troupe Cambridge Footlights, according to his IMDb biography. He co-wrote with Carney a one-man play, My Left Nut, based on his own teenage years, which was later made into an award-winning television miniseries on BBC Three. His other stage work includes several Shakespeare plays.
In 2016, Patrick guest-starred in the Game of Thrones season 6 episode “The Broken Man” as a wildling rioter. He went on to guest star in a variety of British television shows, including “Krypton,” “Soft Border Patrol,” “The Keeper,” “Bravely Under Fire,” and numerous TV movies and miniseries.
In 2024, she appeared as Bonnie in the BBC 1 youth drama This Town, created by Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight.
Patrick and Carney co-wrote several plays and BBC radio series, including the science fiction audio drama series Bitter Pill.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, motor neuron (neolone) disease is a group of rare diseases that destroy motor neurons, which control the muscle movements necessary for breathing, speaking, swallowing, and walking. It can lead to disability and death, and there is no cure.
When he revealed his diagnosis in February 2023, the actor said his “real limpness” made him perfect for theater roles such as Richard III and Tiny Tim. “I’m trying to look at this whole thing in a pretty positive light, but it’s still a really, really tough situation,” he added.
Following his diagnosis, Patrick and Carney wrote and produced a short film, “So You’re Going to Die,” and a one-person play, “My Right Foot,” about his illness.
In February, the actor posted to X revealing that his neurologist had given him a year to live and that he was hopeful that clinical trials for his disease would buy him more time.
Sheehan, who married Patrick a few months after his diagnosis, remembered her late husband as a “ginger-haired giant of a man” who was “an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of interacting with him.”
“Mick loves this quote by[Irish poet]Brendan Behan, and now it feels so appropriate: ‘The most important thing in the world is to have something to eat, something to drink, and someone to love you.'” she wrote. “So don’t think too much. Eat, drink and love.”
