Sign up for Deezer and listen to White Friday by Yo Gotti and 73 million more tracks. Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson. On Friday, news broke that the actor had passed on Thursday, January 7, after being found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home. It is believed Thompson died.
© Provided by Entertainment Weekly Scott Garfield/NBCU Photo Bank
Dearon “Deezer D” Thompson, the actor who portrayed nurse Malik McGrath on the beloved NBC medical drama ER, has died at the age of 55.
On Friday, news broke that the actor had passed on Thursday, January 7, after being found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home. It is believed Thompson died from a heart attack, though an official cause of death has not yet been disclosed. He previously underwent open-heart surgery in 2009 to replace an aorta and fix a leaky heart valve. Thompson's brother confirmed the news with a post on Instagram, which he captioned 'My Big Brother! God is with you. I will miss you.'
In addition to appearing in 190 episodes of ER from 1994 until 2009 as nurse Malik McGrath — including the pilot and series finale — Thompson also appeared in movies such as Fear of a Black Hat, CB4, Bringing Down the House, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
Following the news, Thompson's ER costars shared their heartfelt tributes across social media. “I lost a dear friend yesterday,” Noah Wyle wrote on Instagram. “Deezer D, known to millions of ER fans as nurse, Malik McGrath, died yesterday morning. He was one of the most creative and charismatic men I’ve ever known and his gospel of positivity pulled us both up from many a dark place. I will miss him terribly. Please say a prayer for him and hold a living thought for his family today.” The original star of the series, Julianna Margulies commented on Wyle's post, “My heart is broken… He was simply the sweetest, most fun to be around. I can’t believe it!”
© Scott Garfield/NBCU Photo Bank Dearon 'Deezer D' Thompson played nurse Malik McGrath on the beloved NBC medical drama 'ER' from 1994 to 2009.
Mekhi Phifer, who joined the series in 2002, also shared a tribute. “What a special spirit we have all lost!” he wrote on Instagram. “Since the first day I met him on the set of ER he absolutely made me feel at home and welcomed. My brother will forever be missed! Many condolences to his friends, fans and family.”
ER producer Neal Baer also shared his condolences on Twitter, calling Thompson 'wonderful to work with.'
Sad to learn that Deezer D has passed away. A very sweet, kind man and wonderful to work with on ER. https://t.co/NNsIwOc2Q8
— NealBaer🏳️🌈 (@NealBaer) January 8, 2021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1347413384577224705%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fentertainment%2Fdearon-deezer-d-thompson-er-dead-55
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© Provided by People Barry King/WireImage
Actor Deezer D, born Dearon Thompson, has died at age 55.
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Deezer's brother, Emmery Thompson, confirmed in an Instagram post on Friday that the actor — best known for his role as nurse Malik McGrath on the medical drama ER — had died.
'My Big Brother! God is with you. I will miss you. #deezerd,' Emmery captioned the photo series, which featured family snaps and pictures of the late actor and musical performer's career highlights, including a photo of Deezer on set with former ER costar George Clooney.
Thompson was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home on Thursday morning, according to TMZ. An official cause of death has not been determined, though another brother of his, Marshawn, told the outlet they suspect he had a heart attack.
Several former costars and friends reacted to news of Thompson's death, mourning him as a devoted Christian. Thompson was also a hip hop performer and made appearances in movies, including Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) and Bringing Down the House (2003).
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'I'm sadden [sic] to learn the sudden passing of my friend Deezer. He was a devoted Christian. ... Sending my prayers and condolences to his family. Especially his young son,' tweeted Scott Baio, while ER producer Neal Baer wrote, 'Sad to learn that Deezer D has passed away. A very sweet, kind man and wonderful to work with on ER.'
© Barry King/WireImage Deezer D, born Dearon Thompson, played nurse Malik McGrath on ERRELATED: Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2020
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Thompson was previously open about his health troubles. In July 2009, he told RadarOnline he had been hospitalized and was preparing for heart surgery after suffering 'over 10 episodes of heart failure in the last eight months alone.'
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'I have a heart valve that is leaking and the aorta had expanded to way beyond what it is supposed to be. As soon as the doctor identified what was going on, he put me in here,' he said at the time. 'I am so grateful that my doctor found it in time.'