Michael Patrick, the Irish performer and screenwriter known for his role in “Game of Thrones” and the critically acclaimed BBC production “My Left Nut,” passed away at 35 following a three-year struggle with motor neuron disease, his spouse revealed Wednesday.
The actor died on Tuesday night, April 7, at Northern Ireland Hospice located in Belfast, with loved ones and companions by his side. His spouse, Naomi Sheehan, announced the passing on the next day via Instagram, posting a picture from their nuptials.
The diagnosis came to Patrick on Feb. 1, 2023, and he wed Sheehan in September of that year. During the subsequent three years, he regularly posted information about his medical situation on social platforms, keeping his trademark wit intact despite his deteriorating health. In February 2026, he disclosed his neurologist had estimated he had roughly one year remaining.
The Belfast-native artist, legally named Michael Campbell, pursued scientific studies at the University of Cambridge prior to receiving acting instruction at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. During his time at Cambridge, he took part in performances with the esteemed Cambridge Footlights comedy troupe and participated in the National Youth Theatre. He had a part as a Wildling Rioter in Season 6 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” in 2016, though Northern Irish viewers recognized him primarily for his stage productions and television roles in programs including “This Town,” a production from “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, along with “Blue Lights,” “The Spectacular,” and “Blasts From the Past.”
The actor gained significant recognition for co-creating “My Left Nut” alongside his long-standing creative collaborator Oisín Kearney. The BBC Three comedy-drama production, drawing from Patrick’s actual adolescent experiences of finding a swollen testicle while grieving his father’s death from MND, secured four Royal Television Society awards: Best Drama at the 2020 Royal Television Society (RTS) Northern Ireland Awards, and Best Drama, Best Writers, and Best Actor at the 2021 RTS Yorkshire Awards. The production additionally earned the Summerhall Lustrum Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, where it debuted as a one-man show. The pair worked together on multiple plays and the BBC Radio 4 sci-fi audio drama “Bitter Pill,” which earned a nomination for a Celtic Media Festival Award.
Within Northern Ireland’s theatrical community, Patrick gained attention for his interpretation of Richard III at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre in 2024. He and Kearney reworked Shakespeare’s production so that Richard gets a terminal illness diagnosis at the beginning, reflecting Patrick’s personal situation. He delivered the performance from a wheelchair—marking the first occasion an actor with a disability had portrayed Shakespeare’s Richard III on the island of Ireland. In January 2025, this performance secured him the Judges’ Award at The Stage Awards in London, where he was honored with a standing ovation at the Royal Opera House.
Kearney acknowledged his friend’s passing in a statement to USA Today. He characterized Patrick as “an actor of epic proportions” who “was able to make an audience laugh or cry in an instant.” He noted that Patrick handled his diagnosis with bravery and humility, showing audiences how to do better when it comes to disabilities.
After receiving his diagnosis, Patrick transformed his condition into fresh artistic endeavors. He and Kearney developed and produced the short film-to-series pitch “So You’re Going to Die” and the one-man show “My Right Foot.” He staged the latter at Dublin Theatre Festival in 2025—a 70-minute solo show that critics called a masterclass in humor, honesty, and resilience. He also won the Overcoming Adversity Award at the Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards in 2025.
Motor neuron disease comprises a group of conditions that destroy motor neurons, the nerve cells that control skeletal muscle activity such as walking, breathing, speaking and swallowing, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The illness can result in disability or death. No cure currently exists, though new treatments remain under development.
The Cleveland Clinic characterizes motor neuron disease as a group of neurological disorders that gradually destroy motor neurons over time. As the disease progresses, weakened motor neurons cause muscle stiffness and overactive reflexes, making voluntary movements difficult and slow. Patients may eventually lose the ability to walk and control other movements.
Patrick’s particular form of motor neuron disease was never publicly disclosed. The category includes several conditions: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive bulbar palsy, primary lateral sclerosis, progressive muscular atrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Kennedy’s disease, and post-polio syndrome. Patrick’s father had previously died from MND when Michael was a child, a loss that shaped much of his creative work.
In her Instagram tribute, Sheehan characterized her husband as “a titan of a ginger-haired man” with “joy, abundance of spirit, infectious laughter.” She shared a quote from Irish writer Brendan Behan that Patrick loved: “The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you.”
Sheehan added, “So, don’t overthink it. Eat. Drink. Love.”
Patrick’s last social media post appeared on Feb. 6, when he talked about his prognosis and announced he had chosen against a tracheostomy that could have prolonged his life. He clarified that he would have faced 6 to 12 months in hospital due to staffing shortages before being able to return home. Throughout his illness, he continued working on creative projects and advocating for greater disability awareness.
In August 2025, Patrick recorded a video thanking supporters who donated money to help pay for equipment, including a wheelchair, bed, and van to accommodate his limited mobility.
The Lyric Theatre Belfast, where Patrick performed Richard III, said in a statement that it was devastated by his death. Executive producer Jimmy Fay called Patrick’s Richard III “one of the greatest performances ever on the Lyric stage.” Belfast’s MAC Theatre also paid tribute, calling Patrick “an incredible actor, writer, creator and friend to all of those lucky enough to know him” who “lit up stages with his poignant storytelling.”
Patrick’s funeral will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 13, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Carryduff, County Down.
