Actor Michael Campbell Dies at 35 After Award-Winning Wheelchair Richard III Performance

Michael Campbell, a 35-year-old actor also recognized as Michael Patrick, passed away on Tuesday at NI Hospice after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in February 2023. His wife, Naomi, remembered him as a "titan of a ginger haired man" who embraced life to the fullest. In January 2025, Campbell received the Judges' Award at The Stage Awards held at London's Royal Opera House for his adaptation and performance in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Richard III. Collaborating with Oisín Kearney, he modified the play to mirror his own terminal illness, altering Richard III's deformity to reflect a condition akin to MND. The Lyric Theatre Belfast, where he starred, expressed profound sorrow, with executive producer Jimmy Fay describing it as "one of the greatest performances ever on the Lyric stage." Symptoms began three years ago during his time at the Dublin Fringe Festival, and less than a year post-diagnosis, he needed a wheelchair. In February, he opted against a tracheostomy to spend his final days outside the hospital. MND affects the brain and spinal cord's nerves, leading to progressive weakness without a cure, although treatments can alleviate symptoms.