Austin Majors, former NYPD Blue child star, dies at 27

Austin Majors, the former child actor best known for his role as Theo Sipowicz on NYPD Blue, died Saturday in Los Angeles at 27.

His sister Kali Majors confirmed the news to EW and provided a family statement remembering him as an "artistic, brilliant, and kind human being." A cause of death was not disclosed.

"Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career," his family said. "From the time he was little, he never knew a stranger and his goal in life was to make people happy. He grew up in a small town where he loved camping and fishing with his family and Boy Scout Troop. He loved his dog, Sunny, and the horse he grew up riding, Balla."

Angela Weiss/WireImage Austin Majors in 2009

The statement added that Kali's fondest memories with her older brother involve "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, who also went by Austin Majors Setmajer-Raglin, appeared on NYPD Blue from 1999 to 2004 as the son of Dennis Franz's Detective Andy Sipowicz. His work earned him the Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series in 2002.

Majors' other screen credits included the TV shows According to Jim, ER, Threshold, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, American Dad, and How I Met Your Mother, and films including Treasure Planet, The Price of Air, Little Manhattan, and The Ant Bully. Majors graduated from the University of Southern California, where he studied film production and cinematography, in 2017. He also created music under the moniker Pope.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Dennis Franz and Austin Majors on 'NYPD Blue' in 1999

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