Dearon 'Deezer D' Thompson Fans Mourn the 'ER' Actor After Sudden Death at 55

Fans are in mourning following the death of Dearon "Deezer D" Thompson, who played nurse Malik McGrath on the long-running NBC medical drama ER. Thompson died suddenly Thursday at 55 after being found unresponsive in his Los Angeles home, his brother confirmed to TMZ.

Although an official cause of death has not been determined at this time, Thompson's brother told the outlet the family believes the actor and rapper died of a heart attack. The 55-year-old had undergone multiple heart surgeries over the past decade, including open-heart surgery in 2009 to replace his aorta and fix a leaky heart valve. Speaking with Radar Online at the time, Thompson said he was experiencing "recurring pneumonia" and had "over 10 episodes of heart failure" in the months before his surgery, describing his medical issue as the "same thing that killed John Ritter."

Thompson was best known for his portrayal of nurse Malik McGrath on ER, having appeared in every season of the 1994-2009 medical drama alongside names such as George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Anthony Edwards, and Julianna Margulies. His other credits include Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (1997) and the Chris Rock comedy CB4 (1993), with his most recent credit being the 2017 Kristy Swanson comedy Crowning Jules. Thompson also made a name for himself in the music industry, releasing the rap album Delayed, But Not Denied in 2008. His latest song, "History Can't Be Stopped," was released posthumously Thursday, according to Deadline, as fans flocked to social media to pay their respects and pay tribute to the late actor.