Late Days of our Lives star Patrick Muldoon, who tragically died from a sudden heart attack on April 19th, never forgot his soap opera roots. It may have been more than a dozen years since he last stepped into Austin Reed’s shoes, but his last trip to Salem was a welcome surprise, even if it didn’t mean what fans thought it did.
Patrick Muldoon: Always a fan favorite
The DAYS audience has never forgotten Muldoon’s portrayal of Austin Reed, the younger brother of Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and one of Kate’s many kids. Muldoon was the first actor to play Austin after getting his big break on the teen scene Saturday sitcom Saved by the Bell in 1991. A year later, he arrived in Salem and quickly stole Carrie Brady’s (Christie Clark) heart before her younger sister, Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney), took a liking to him herself.
While Muldoon only played Austin for a few short years, he made his mark on the show and fans never forgot him. In 2011, after making a primetime soap name for himself on Melrose Place, he returned to the daytime soap that gave him his start and resumed playing Austin.
Austin Peck, who took over for Muldoon when he first left the soap in 1995, played Austin on the DAYS web series Chad and Abby in Paris, but last year, fans briefly thought that Muldoon was on his way back as Austin, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
Patrick Muldoon gives Days of our Lives fans a smile
Both the official DAYS Instagram account and Muldoon himself shared a video of the actor entering the show’s studio on June 16, 2025.
“Studio 4…It’s gotta be…Is this Studio 2?” he asked, before looking at the camera and continuing. “Listen, I just got off the 101 South in Burbank and Studios 2 and 4…Oh, my God. I’m in Salem. Feels good to be back.”
Immediately, fans asked if he was returning to the soap, but it turned out he was just visiting the set. It was a letdown for many who had missed the actor over the years. The last time Muldoon appeared on Days of our Lives was in 2012 when Austin spent a year in Salem with Carrie before they moved to Europe with their son, Noah. Carrie has returned to Salem a few times since then, but she always returns to Austin in the end.
While fans were disappointed that the always-busy Muldoon was not returning to the soap after all, it was nice to see that familiar face and his warm voice being happy to be home in Salem.
Catch all-new episodes of Days of our Lives weekdays on Peacock.
Edited by Hope Campbell