Former wrestler-turned-actor Chase Tatum has died of an apparent drug overdose.

The 34-year-old was found dead in his Atlanta, Georgia home on Sunday (23Mar08). The Fulton County Medical Examiner has ordered a toxicology report, declaring the exact cause of Tatum's death will be known in six to eight weeks.

The former fighter, who became a bodyguard for hip-hop duo Outkast and appeared alongside the band's rapper Big Boi in comedy Who's Your Caddy, was set to enter rehab for a painkiller dependency problem, according to Tatum's father.

The devastated dad tells the Atlanta-Journal Constitution newspaper, "He was in the process of getting his life back together. He was confident he was going to turn things around, to live a normal life again without the painkillers."

A former Mr. Georgia bodybuilding champion, Tatum was plagued with back problems and was recovering from surgery to repair a degenerative disc and injuries sustained while wrestling when he died. (KL/WNWC&RS/GES)

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