"ER"Actor Dearon Thompson, Known as Deezer D, 55, Has Died.

If you were a fan of prime time television in the 90's then you definitely know about the ground-breaking show "ER". Before there was "Grey's Anatomy", there was "ER". Set in a Chicago fictitious hospital, "ER" debuted in 1994 and ran for a whopping 15 seasons. The show featured such actors as Eriq LaSalle, Gloria Reuben and George Clooney just to name a few.

One show regular, who stole the hearts of viewers, was Malik McGrath. McGrath was a quick witted emergency room nurse played by Dearon Thompson. Thompson, professionally known as Deezer D, was found unresponsive in his California home yesterday morning. He was taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Thompson's brother, Marshawn Thompson, has stated that he believes his brother suffered a heart attack and passed away.

According to People, 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."

"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."

Thompson embodied his role as Malik McGrath for the entire run of the "ER" series from 1994-2009. He also had a role in 'Romy and Michele' and was known for his roles in the films "CB4" and "Fear of a Black Hat."

No official cause of death has been released. Our deepest sympathies to his family.