Michael Patrick, the Irish theater actor and familiar face on British television, has died. He was 35.
Patrick died in the Northern Ireland Hospice after a three-year battle with motor neuron disease, a rare neurodegenerative disorder, his wife Naomi Sheehan posted on Instagram Wednesday, April 8.
"He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends," Sheehan wrote. "Words can't describe how broken-hearted we are."
Patrick's longtime writing partner, Oisin Kearney, confirmed his death in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday.
"Michael was an actor of epic proportions. He was able to make an audience laugh or cry in an instant. As a writer, he could express the knife-edge of comedy and tragedy that is human experience," Kearney wrote. "Michael dealt with his diagnosis with bravery and humility, showed us how we can do better when it comes to disabilities, and he could always make you smile. I am so proud to call him my creative partner and even prouder to say he was my friend."
