‘Today we woke up and realised yesterday was not just a bad dream.’

Soap opera star Patrick Muldoon died suddenly on Sunday, his family announced.

The actor best known for his roles in Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, was 57 years old.

Muldoon’s sister, Shana Muldoon Zappa, said on Monday that he had been “suddenly taken from this Earth.”

“Today we woke up and realised yesterday was not just a bad dream,” she wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for the outpouring. We are in shock.”

“Those that knew my brother knew he IS the brightest light in every room, in any moment, on any day. I believe he is continuing to be so in spirit,” Muldoon Zappa wrote.

“We don’t have details on any celebration of life at this time as we are devastated and just trying to process how someone so happy, healthy, and full of life is suddenly taken from this Earth.”

He reportedly died of a heart attack, according to Deadline.

While well known for his soap opera roles, Muldoon also appeared in more than 50 feature films, including Starship Troopers and Spiders in 3D.

His most recent role was in Dirty Hands, which is set to be released later this month, according to a post on his Instagram.

Last week, Muldoon also shared his excitement on Instagram about being part of KOCKROACH, a move being filmed in Australia, directed by Matt Ross and starring Chris Hemsworth, Taron Egerton, Zazie Beetz and Alec Baldwin.

But the award-winning actor began his career during the off-season while playing college football for the USC Trojans.

He landed a role on Who’s the Boss? in 1990, playing Alyssa Milano’s boyfriend, and did modelling work for Calvin Klein, according to IMDb.

Muldoon also made appearances on TV shows Saved by the Bell and Silk Stalkings before being cast on NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives in 1992, where he portrayed Austin Reed in nearly 500 episodes.

That breakout role in daytime television earned him a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best New Actor and a developmental deal with Spelling Entertainment.

He appeared on the Aaron Spelling produced Melrose Place from 1995 to 1996, playing fan favorite villain Richard Hart on the popular Beverly Hills 90210 spinoff.

Muldoon’s co-stars from Days of Our Lives shared messages of remembrance after his death.

Alison Sweeney, who played Sami Brady on the show, published a tribute honoring Muldoon as a colleague.

“This is such heartbreaking news. Pat was a rare kind of person – brilliantly talented, endlessly kind, and generous in spirit,” Sweeney wrote in an X post.

“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 humour to work every day. A truly gifted guy, and one who will be profoundly missed.”

Another Days of our Lives costar, Lisa Rinna, 62, now known as a reality TV star on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Traitors, shared a throwback photo of herself with Muldoon on her Instagram story, accompanied by a broken-heart emoji.

Beyond acting, he explored producing, singing and songwriting.

He produced and acted in the 2020 film The Comeback Trail alongside Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones.