Deezer D, who is best known for his role as nurse Malik McGrath on the medical drama ER, has died at the age of 55.
According to TMZ, the actor, born Dearon Thompson, was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home Thursday morning (January 7). Although no official cause of death has been announced, Deezer's brother Marshawn told the outlet, his family believes he died of a heart attack.
Back in 2009, Deezer opened up about undergoing major heart surgery. “I have a heart valve that is leaking and the aorta had expanded to way beyond what it is supposed to be,” Deezer told Radar Online at the time. “As soon as the doctor identified what was going on, he put me in here … What I was going through for the last year — that was scary. I’m fearless about the surgery.”
Deezer D appeared in nearly 200 episodes of ER from 1994 through 2009. He also had roles in fan-favorite films such as Bringing Down The House, Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion, and CB4.
In addition to acting, he dabbled in the world of hip hop, appearing on soundtracks for the 1993 film CB4 and 2002’s Crazy as Hell. Deezer D also released a full-length solo project titled Delayed, But Not Denied in 2008.
In recent years, Deezer also launched a career as a Christian motivational speaker and a personal trainer.
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