Belfast actor Michael Patrick known for his powerful theatre performances and a memorable stint on Game of Thrones has died at 35 after battling motor neuron disease. He passed away on Tuesday, April 7, at the Northern Ireland Hospice, where he had been admitted ten days earlier.
What was Michael Patrick’s cause of death?
Michael Patrick, whose real name was Michael Campbell was diagnosed with motor neuron disease in February 2023. The illness had a big impact on his fast-growing theatre career. In February, he said he chose not to have a tracheotomy, a procedure that would give him an artificial airway to help him breathe because he wanted to spend more time out of the hospital during what his neurologist said would probably be the final year of his life. Patrick’s father had also died of MND when Michael was a young boy.
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What did his wife say?
His wife Naomi shared the news, saying he passed away “peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.”
She wrote. “Words can’t describe how broken-hearted we are. It’s been said more than once that Mick was an inspiration to everyone who was privileged enough to come into contact with him, not just in the past few years during his illness but in every day of his life. He lived a life as full as any human can live. Joy, abundance of spirit, infectious laughter. A titan of a ginger-haired man. We are so grateful for every person who supported us through the last few years.”
Naomi also shared a quote that was meaningful to her husband from Irish writer Brendan Behan: “The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you.” She ended her post with, “So, don’t overthink it. Eat. Drink. Love.”
His career and legacy
Michael Patrick was one half of a well-known creative team with his writing partner Oisin Kearney, whom he met at Cambridge University where Oisin studied politics and Michael studied physics. Together, they ran the university’s Irish Society and worked on several productions. In 2017, Patrick co-wrote My Left Nut with Kearney, a darkly funny solo play about a vulnerable teenager dealing with a serious medical condition without a father to turn to which was inspired by his own experiences.
In 2024, Patrick made history by playing King Richard in The Tragedy of Richard III at the Lyric Theatre, becoming the first actor with a disability to take on the role in Ireland.
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His performance earned him the Judges’ Award at the Stage Awards at the Royal Opera House in London in January 2025. That same year, at the Dublin Theatre Festival, he performed My Right Foot, a deeply personal 70-minute solo show about living with motor neuron disease, described as a masterclass in humor, honesty, and resilience.
