Austin Majors, the child actor who became famous for his role as Theo Sipowicz in “NYPD Blue” has died, reportedly from fentanyl poisoning.
Majors, 27, also known as Austin Setmajer-Raglin, appeared in 48 episodes of “NYPD Blue” as well as “E.R.,” “NCIS,” and “How I Met Your Mother.”
Majors “was a 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,” the family said in a statement to TMZ.
“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,” the statement continued. “Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever.”
Kali Raglin told Fox News Digital that officials said her brother’s cause of death came from “suspected fentanyl poisoning with an ongoing investigation.”
According to Variety, Majors had been staying at a Los Angeles facility for the homeless.
On Sunday, Kali Raglin wrote on Instagram. “My big brother, Austin, is gone. He died last night. It’s so surreal to me still. He was only 27 with so much life left to live.”
“NYPD Blue, “ created by Steven Bochco and David Milch, ran from September 21, 1993 to March 1, 2005 and became ABC’s longest-running primetime one-hour drama until passed by “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2016. Actor Dennis Franz played the lead character, NYPD detective Andy Sipowicz, father of Theo.
A 2003 episode of the show, titled “Nude Awakening,” showed Theo entering a bathroom where Connie, played by actress Charlotte Ross, was nude. Ross’ nudity from behind, which lasted seven seconds, prompted protests from viewers and the FCC to levy a a $1.2 million indecency fine against ABC which was later vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York.
Bochco later told GQ that he and then-ABC president Bob Iger (now CEO of Disney) “sat in his office like two little boys, drawing dirty pictures: naked men and women” while considering “How much of this can you see? How much of that?” without angering the Federal Communications Commission.