Game of Thrones Actor Michael Patrick Remembered by Wife Naomi in Heartfelt Tribute

Belfast-born actor Michael Patrick, known for his role in a season 6 episode of Game of Thrones, has died at 35 after battling Motor Neuron Disease. His wife, Naomi Sheehan, announced his passing on Wednesday in an Instagram post.

'Last night, Mick sadly passed away in the Northern Ireland Hospice. [He] passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends,' Sheehan wrote alongside their wedding photo. Patrick was diagnosed with the disease last February 2023.

Michael Patrick's Wife Shares Loving Tribute

In her message, Naomi described her husband as someone who 'lived a life as full as any human can live. Joy, abundance of spirit, infectious laughter. A titan of a ginger-haired man.' After commending the hospice team who cared for Patrick for the past ten days, she added, 'We are so grateful for every person who supported us through the last few years.'

Naomi signed off by saying, 'Words can't describe how broken-hearted we are,' emphasising the profound loss felt by his loved ones. 'The most important things to do in the world are to get something to eat, something to drink and somebody to love you,' she asserted, citing Patrick's favourite quote from Brendan Behan, an Irish poet.

The progressive, incurable condition attacks nerves controlling movement, ultimately shutting down muscular functions. ALS is the most common form of MND, representing approximately 90 per cent of cases. Patrick's family did not specify his exact diagnosis subtype.

Who Was Michael Patrick in Game of Thrones?

Michael Patrick Game of Thrones role appeared in Season 6, Episode 7. In 'The Broken Man,' he played the Wildling rioter who opposed joining Jon Snow's rally against the Night King.

Off-stage, Patrick was known as Michael Campbell, a gifted performer recognised for his accomplished acting and writing. He was a long-time creative partner of writer-director Oisín Kearney, collaborating on TV and theatre productions for more than ten years.

Patrick's stage credits include The Tragedy of Richard III, Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, and My Left Nut, the latter with Kearney as co-writer. Patrick also appeared in TV's This Town, Blue Lights, Krypton, and a My Left Nut adaptation, among others.

'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,' Sheehan wrote. Despite a reportedly rough upbringing, family remained central to his life.

Michael Patrick's Father Also Fought MND

Patrick was well aware of MND before his diagnosis. His father succumbed to the condition in 1988. 'My dad died when I was eight years old,' he told the BBC in 2023. 'There's a bit about it in the TV show My Left Nut, which I wrote. I'm one of four children and my mum raised us all. She's brilliant, she's raised £100,000 for a motor neurone disease charity.'

'It's a degenerative illness which is fatal at the end of the day. I suppose you have to get through it as best you can,' he added. Experts have made headway in MND research, but the cure remains elusive, according to Karen Morrison, Belfast Trust consultant neurologist.

'I really do think in the not too distant future there will be therapies for some genetic forms of adult MND and I think there will be other treatments to treat the symptoms of the disease so we will have a significant effect on survival,' she told the outlet.