Dominic Purcell has penned a heartbreaking tribute to his late father, Phil Myrtvedt, four years after the death of his mother Maureen.
The 54-year-old Prison Break star’s father tragically died in April, while his mother passed away in February 2020.
On Monday, the actor took to social media and expressed his heartbreak over the loss of his dad seven months on.
‘Dad. A wise gentle humble man. Just a big Shout out to ya mate miss ya heaps. You were flying then boom gone. Just so fucked up,’ he wrote alongside a photo of the two together.
‘2024 what a f**kin mess. F**k off.’
Just weeks earlier, Dominic grieved the loss of his mother, who’d previously undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dominic Purcell has penned a heartbreaking tribute to his late father, Phil Myrtvedt, four years after the death of his mother Maureen. The 54-year-old Prison Break star’s father tragically died in April, while his mother passed away in February 2020. Pictured with Tish Cyrus (left)
‘It’s about family. Once they’re gone. You know. Love you mum,’ he captioned his post.
Dominic’s father died aged 80 in April, two weeks after being admitted to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin with unspecified health issues.
Posting a photo of himself and wife Tish Cyrus, 57, posing with his late father, Dominic penned a lengthy caption honouring his father’s legacy as a ‘deeply respected’ patriarch.
‘My dad passed tonight’, he began, before praising the medical professionals who tended to Joseph during his stint in hospital.
‘For what’s it’s worth. As a father I believe the greatest gift he can receive from his child is the knowing he is deeply loved. Deeply respected,’ he continued.
‘Surely a father’s only wish for his child is to grow, flourish and better him. That was his wish. It came true. I know very clearly I can not better him but I can try and be like him.’
Dominic also spoke fondly of Tish’s close relationship with her father-in-law, writing: ‘To my beautiful wife. It’s very easy to love you. It’s a simple thing.’
‘The connection and deep love you had for my dad, and he for you, (the both of you) was magnificent. ‘As he said, “What did I do to deserve these two beautiful angels?”,’ he wrote.
Just weeks earlier, Dominic grieved the loss of his mother, who’d previously undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer
The Australian actor also thanked his wife (who is the mother of Miley Cyrus) for performing music to Joseph during his time in hospital, writing: ‘The songs were perfect. They brought him peace in his final hours. It was a beautiful gesture. Thank you.’
Continuing his gut-wrenching essay, Dominic then praised Joseph for showing ‘courage, dignity and stoicism’ in the face of ‘great pain’.
Dominic said he hopes Joseph’s strength, dignity and humility will be honoured by his father’s many grandchildren.
‘VIVAMUS, MORIENDUM EST. (Let us live, since we must die). Go with mum, dad. Your loving son Dom,’ he concluded.
Tish was quick to express her heartbreak in the comments, revealing the origin of the happy family snap Dominic had used in his post.
‘The day this picture was taken was one of the best days of my life. Dom and I got our marriage license and then walked down Sunset Blvd with Joe,’ wrote Tish, who wed Dominic last year.
‘He was so happy and full of life. It’s a day I’ll never forget. To know Joe was to love him. The kindest most gentle soul I will ever know. Being loved by him is something I’ll never take for granted.’
In 2020, The Flash star paid tribute to his ‘extraordinary’ mother, Maureen, after she passed away.
Dominic also spoke fondly of Tish’s close relationship with her father-in-law. Tish is the mother of US pop star Miley Cyrus
He shared an image of himself and his mother enjoying a night out together on Instagram.
‘She was a beautiful human, cool as f**k and a real beauty,’ he said of Maureen.
After sharing a special moment from her life where she wagged school to meet The Beatles and ‘flirted’ with John Lennon, he went on to reveal the sacrifices she’d made for her family.
‘A single mum, five kids, no money. Worked two jobs, one cleaning toilets. A woman that sacrificed so much so we could eat and play without fear,’ he wrote.
He explained it was his mum who taught him what really mattered in life – ‘unconditional love’ and how to be a man.
‘She taught me what it is to be a man – the true essence of masculinity. No muscles, no posturing. No violence. Just a simple instinctive need to provide, to protect and love my own babies as she did us,’ he said.
‘You did it, mum. A giant in life. A giant in greatness. You had the last laugh, hey mum, cheeky,’ he concluded.