Austin Majors, a former child actor who appeared on the ABC series “NYPD Blue,” has died at age 27 in Los Angeles.
Majors, who also went by Austin Majors-Setmajer, died on Saturday according to L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroner. His official cause of death has not been determined and further investigation is pending.
His death was first reported Monday by TMZ, which said Majors died while staying at a homeless housing facility in downtown Los Angeles.
A source close to the matter told the outlet that although foul play was not suspected to be involved, Majors is believed to have “ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl.”
An autopsy on the former actor’s body was completed Monday, with the final toxicology results expected to be released in a few months.
Actor Austin Majors poses at The 7th Annual Mentor Awards Gala benefiting Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California, October 29, 2003. (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
Austin Majors at NYPD Blue’s 200th episode celebration at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, Ca., Sept. 7, 2002. (Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.)Following his death, Majors’s family released a statement, paying a tribute to the “loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being.”
“Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing,” they told TMZ.
The statement continued: “Austin’s younger sister, Kali, says her fondest memories with Austin were growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with Kids With a Cause, and backpacking together.”
“Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.”
Majors starred as Theo Sipowicz in NYPD Blue for seven seasons, portraying the son of Detective Andy Sipowicz, who was played by Dennis Franz.
His “NYPD Blue” co-star, Dennis Franz, said that Majors was a “joy” to work with, Fox News reported.
“I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Austin’s passing. Austin was always such a joy to have on the set, he brought smiles and happiness to everyone,” Franz told the outlet.
“Although we haven’t stayed in touch since the show ended in 2005, I will always remember him fondly. My love and condolences to his family.”
Majors received the 2002 Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series for his work on NYPD Blue. He was nominated for the same award in 2003 and 2004.
His work on “Treasure Planet” earned him a nomination for best performance in a voiceover role.
Majors’s television credits include episodes of “ER,” “NCIS,” “American Dad,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “How I Met Your Mother.”