Child actor Austin Majors, best known for portraying Theo Sipowicz on NYPD Blue, died at 27.
On Saturday, February 11, Austin’s death was announced by TMZ. While the details and exact cause of the former child actor’s death are still unofficial, TMZ sources claim he died at a homeless housing facility in Los Angeles. The reporters contacted a person close to Austin and were assured that the police do not have any reason to suspect foul play, but it’s believed Majors ingested too much fentanyl, which is a synthetic drug 50 times stronger than heroin.
While the authorities are still investigating and the toxicology report will undoubtedly shed more light on the cause of death, Majors’ family have nothing but praise for the deceased, saying he was a brilliant, caring, artistic, and kind human being who took great joy and pride in his acting career. Austin spent a lot of his free time with his Eagle Scout buddies, and after graduating from the School of Cinematic Arts of the University of Southern California, he had his eyes set on becoming a director and producing music.
Major’s career wasn’t the only thing he will be remembered for, as the actor often volunteered at various “Kids With a Cause” events. Austin grew up in a small town where he loved going fishing with his family and the scouts. He loved his dog Sunny and the horse Balla, which he grew up riding. Austin’s family will miss him deerly, as according to them he was the kind of a son, brother, and nephew who made everyone around him proud.
Majors is best known for his role as Theo Sipowicz, who appeared in 48 episodes of NYPD throughout seven seasons. His character was the son of detective Andy Sipowicz, who was played by actor Dennis Franz. In 2003, young Austin also got into a scandal after the release of one of the episodes. According to the plot, his character walked in on naked Charlotte Ross in the toilet before she was about to take a shower. This scene caused a lot of complaints against the ABC channel, and the broadcaster was fined 1.4 million dollars. Majors is also known for his roles in the ER, According to Jim, NCIS, and How I Met Your Mother.
In 2022, after 19 years since the finale, Majors finally received recognition from the Young Artist Award for best performance in NYPD Blue.