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“ER” Actor, Dearon ‘Deezer D’ Thompson, Dies At 55

By Michael Bamidele

08 January 2021   |   11:15 am

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American actor Dearon Thompson, who is best remembered for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath in the US TV series "ER", has died. He was aged 55. Thompson, who is known professionally as Deezer D, was found unresponsive at his residence in Los Angeles on Thursday and his family are of the opinion that he…

Deezer D | Image: Getty

American actor Dearon Thompson, who is best remembered for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath in the US TV series “ER”, has died. He was aged 55.

Thompson, who is known professionally as Deezer D, was found unresponsive at his residence in Los Angeles on Thursday and his family are of the opinion that he had a heart attack, according to his brother Marshawn, TMZ reported.

Deezer D is survived by a ‘young son,’ according to his friend and fellow actor Scott Baio who mourned him on Twitter this Thursday.

Between the years of 1994 and 2009 he racked up 190 episodes on ER, many of them acting opposite the show’s breakout star George Clooney.

Deezer D also became a motivational speaker and broke into a career in hip hop, including with Christian tracks he performed at religious events.

His death comes less than 12 years after he spent six hours in surgery to address a leaking heart valve and enlarged aorta.

A few days before the surgery he told Radar Online that he had experienced ‘over 10 episodes of heart failure in the last eight months alone.’

Deezer D stated: “The problem with my aorta is the same thing that killed John Ritter. I am so grateful that my doctor found it in time.”

He also starred in films such as 1994s Fear of a Black Hat, 1993s CB4 alongside Phil Hartma and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

Thompson’s final onscreen credit was in the 2017 family movie, Crowning Jules.