Cal Gaunt
The cause of former child actor Austin Majors’ death has been confirmed.
Majors gained recognition for his role as Theo Sipowicz on NYPD Blue, featuring in 48 episodes between 1999 and 2004.
His performance on the police procedural series earned him the 2002 Young Artists Award for best performance in a television series.
He left his mark on numerous other TV shows including How I Met Your Mother, ER, According to Jim and Desperate Housewives.
Majors also had appearances in films like Dead Silence, The Ant Bully, and Nevada.
In February, it was announced that the former NYPD Blue star had tragically passed away at the age of 27.
News of his death was initially reported by TMZ, which mentioned that Majors, born Austin Setmajer, had died while staying at a homeless housing facility in Los Angeles.
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Although foul play was not suspected at the time, it was believed that he might have ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Majors’ death was due to fentanyl toxicity and the incident has been ruled an accident.
His family shared their thoughts on his passing in a statement to PEOPLE.
They remembered him as a ‘loving, artistic, brilliant and kind human being’.
His family continued: “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 for directing and music producing.
“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.”
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Dennis Franz, who played Majors’ father in NYPD Blue, also paid tribute.
He told Entertainment Weekly: “Austin was always such a joy to have on the set; he brought smiles and happiness to everyone.
“Every day that Austin worked I would greet him with a special song, ‘It’s Austin Major’s Day’ sung to the tune of ‘Howdy Doody Time’.
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“I will always remember him fondly. My love and condolences to his family.”
Beyond his acting career, Majors also operated under the alias ‘Pope!’ and was associated with multiple charitable organisations, according to his official website.
The breadth of his talents and his positive impact on various endeavours made his untimely passing all the more tragic.
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