Mike Heslin, known for his roles in the TV series Lioness and the movie The Holiday Proposal Plan, passed away on July 2 at the age of 35.
The news was announced by his husband, Scotty Dynamo on Instagram.
Dynamo revealed that Heslin’s cause of death was due to a “sudden cardiac event” following a week-long hospital stay, according to Variety.
Dynamo expressed disbelief at Heslin’s passing, noting that he was young and in perfect health, with doctors unable to explain the sudden event.
He remembered Heslin as a brilliant, selfless, and talented individual who had been a real-life guardian angel, particularly supportive during Dynamo’s multiple battles with cancer.
Heslin was described by his widower as the go-to person for sharing good news and offering support, always providing the best advice and a comforting presence. Dynamo emphasized how Heslin’s ease and confidence in life positively influenced everyone around him, making them better versions of themselves.
Despite any challenges, Dynamo felt they could overcome anything with Heslin by their side.
Mike Heslin and Scott Dynamo planned to start a family
The couple had been planning to start a family, with Dynamo noting that Heslin would have been an ideal father. He expressed a desire to name his future son after Heslin, hoping to raise him to be as admirable as Heslin was.
“Just a week ago, we were in the early stages of starting a family and would regularly share our favorite baby names for our future kids. You always told me that you felt like you were meant to be a dad, and I couldn’t agree more. You would be the world’s most perfect father. If I ever become a dad, I am going to name my son after you and hope that I manage to raise him to become at least half the man you are.”
Heslin, an organ donor, has already helped four different families with his donation, according to the Instagram tribute.
Mike Heslin won an award for his mockumentary
In addition to his role as Polo in two episodes of Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness, Heslin created and starred in the 2020 mockumentary, The Influencers, which was nominated for a Queerty award and streamed on Prime Video.
He also appeared in the Christmas movie The Holiday Proposal Plan on Lifetime, the Noggin series In Their Shoes: A Journey Into Homelessness, and the TV Land series Younger.
Heslin had a co-producing credit and co-starred as Rupert in the 2020 movie Boy*Friends.
His short film Happy Halloween won several awards at horror festivals, including best first-time director.
Born in California, Heslin earned a BFA in Directing from the Boston Conservatory, according to his official website. He was also the co-founder of Well-Versed Entertainment, a full-service production company that managed all aspects of production from initial concept and development to post-production.