After hearing the pastor's inspirational message, Deezer D decided to become a Christian. He was applying scripture to your everyday life,' Deezer D noted on the Crosswalk Web site. Minister Tim Storey began preaching, and 'He was backing stuff up with scripture, and I'd never heard that before. With nothing else to do that night, Deezer D agreed. But one Saturday night at a down time in his life that all changed when Deezer D's roommate invited him to attend church. They're part of my extended family.'Īlthough Deezer D had achieved steady work in Hollywood, his life was tumultuous because of his drinking and carousing. About his feelings for his ER coworkers, Deezer D told People Weekly that 'They're much more than co-workers. When he wed makeup artist Samantha Enson on November 14, 2004, Deezer D celebrated the occasion with cast members from eleven season of ER Noah Wyle and Abraham Benrubi served as groomsmen. Deezer D eagerly took to the part, and has appeared in the show's 12 seasons.ĭuring his tenure as Malik on ER, Deezer D grew close to his fellow cast members. John Wells remembered Deezer D and offered him the opportunity to play the role of nurse Malik McGrath on NBC's popular television drama, ER, in 1994. His first feature films included the 1991 rap-oriented remake of Rebel without a Cause, Cool as Ice, starring rapper Vanilla Ice, and in the 1993 comedy CB4, playing a member of an up-and-coming rap group, followed by bit parts in The Great White Hype in 1996 and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion in 1997.īut it was on television that Deezer D first found great success. He attained two roles in the early 1990s in John Wells' series China Beach and Angel Street, which introduced him to the entertainment world and set him on the path to becoming a well-known actor.

Using the name 'Deezer D,' he was soon playing small television roles, and in time decided to pursue acting as a career. His real break came with a rap song he had written about the dangers of smoking, which led to a television spot and an agent. Music was in his blood and it came naturally to him, even though breaking into the music industry required hard work and persistence. Deezer D recalled his parents' early discouragement from drinking and drugs, but he noted in an interview with Connection Magazine that 'When I started doing it, it wasn't really a big deal.' Drinking and rap music became a big part of Deezer D's life-a lifestyle he shared with his family and friends.Įncouraged by friends, Deezer D followed his interest in music by writing and singing rap songs. Without a spot on the basketball team, Deezer D soon began drinking heavily. Sports had served as a slight buffer from bad influences. Being forced to leave his high school basketball team changed Deezer D's life. Although he harbored a dream of becoming a professional basketball player, he was thrown off his high school team and soon after left high school without graduating. 'My house was like the Jerry Springer Show,' claimed Deezer D on the Connection Magazine Web site. He grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California, where he eventually became the member of a gang. Deezer D was born Dearon Thompson in 1965 into a family that drank heavily.

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