Who was Mike Heslin? Husband pays emotional tribute as Lioness actor and filmmaker passes away at 30

Actor Mike Heslin, 30, unexpectedly died on July 2, 2024, following the complications of a cardiac event. He was hospitalized for a week before his sudden demise.

For the unversed, Heslin was not only an actor but a writer and producer as well. He gained recognition for his performances in projects such as Lioness, Boy Friends, and My Gay Roommate.

Heslin's husband, Scotty Dynamo, took to Instagram on Friday (July 5) to confirm his demise and wrote a lengthy tribute with a lineup of photos. One of the shared pictures was from their wedding ceremony and another one featured the couple kissing at the beach.

Dynamo described Heslin as a "brilliant, selfless, talented, and a real-life guardian angel" in the post. Scotty also stated that Mike had a lot of love and care for those who were close to him and added:

"He single-handedly carried me through multiple rounds of cancer. He was the first person everyone would call to share good news with, and he was the perfect person to call if they needed a shoulder to lean on or the best advice."

Scotty Dynamo mentioned that he was lucky to have met Mike Heslin and his "heart shattered into a million pieces" when his husband breathed for the last time. He recalled that he and Mike were planning to expand their family a week ago and continued:

"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."

Dynamo expressed his satisfaction in the end by saying that Heslin left a "gift of life" for four families through his wish to be a donor, adding that "the heaven has gained another angel." The comments section was also flooded with tributes, where people wrote that Mike will be remembered forever.

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Mike Heslin won a few accolades for his work as a filmmaker: Career and other details explained

As stated on his eponymous website, Mike Heslin acquired a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) from the Boston Conservatory with a focus on film direction.

While his acting skills were known to everyone, he additionally had a career as a filmmaker where he created some successful projects. One of them was the horror short film Happy Halloween, which grabbed five accolades at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival.

He became popular as the creator of a scripted mockumentary titled The Influencers, which is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.

In an interview with Film Inquiry in 2020, Mike Heslin revealed how he developed the concept of the show. He said that he met many influencers while working as a creative director and social media director.

"While there are so many influencers out there who are incredibly smart and business savvy, I happened to interact with a few individuals who, while beautiful and kind, didn't have much of a real skillset. I started to wonder how those individuals would fare if they had to prove themselves in an unfiltered forum and thus, the idea for The Influencers was born," Mike Heslin added.

He even opened up on the difference between acting on stage and in front of the camera as he said:

"You have to adjust vocally and physically depending on the medium or it will come across as being too big and unbelievable (if you're performing on camera as you would a Broadway theatre), or bland and vanilla (if you perform on a stage as you would for a close-up)."

Mike Heslin was also the co-founder of a production company called Well-Versed Entertainment. Coming to his acting career, he appeared in plays such as War Horse and Mamma Mia. He had other successful projects under his credits such as I Dream Too Much and I Love You But I Lied.