No autopsy planned on "The Jeffersons" actor Sherman Hemsley

Sherman Hemsley (L) and Isabel Sanford, the stars of the popular television series ''The Jeffersons'' pose as they arrive for the premiere screening of the new television special ''50 Years of Television'' in Los Angeles in this April 16, 1997 file photo.

(Reuters) - No autopsy will be done on "The Jeffersons" lead actor Sherman Hemsley because his medical history indicates he died of natural causes at age 74, an official said on Wednesday.

Hemsley was found dead on Tuesday at a house in El Paso, Texas, where he lived, and at the time police said the cause of death was "pending autopsy results."

But the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner has decided against doing an autopsy, said Annabel Salazar, chief investigator for the office.

Hemsley's cause of death is "most definitely natural causes," she said, but she added that she could not give specifics on any possible ailment the actor might have suffered.

Hemsley's best-known role was as George Jefferson, the owner of a dry cleaning business who lived in a New York luxury high-rise apartment with his family. "The Jeffersons" ran on television from 1975 to 1985.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Anthony Boadle)