The Martin star was hospitalised with a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen on Sunday (09Oct16) and on Wednesday morning (12Oct16), he was reported to be on life support in an Atlanta, Georgia medical centre.
His health continued to rapidly decline and he passed away hours later, after his family decided to take him off life support, reports TMZ.com.
Ford had also undergone knee replacement surgery last month (Sep16) and had been recovering with physical therapy. It is unclear if complications linked to the surgery led to his hospitalisation and subsequent death.
Born Thomas Mikal Ford, he rose to fame as funnyman Martin Lawrence’s best friend on his sitcom Martin, which ran for five seasons from 1992 to 1997.
He went on to appear in another popular sitcom, The Parkers, in which he portrayed the ex-husband of Mo’Nique’s character, while his other TV credits include A Different World, New York Undercover, and The Jamie Foxx Show.
Ford also appeared in the films Class Act, Harlem Nights, and Against the Law.
Comedian Lawrence has yet to comment on his old pal’s passing, but earlier on Wednesday, he took to Twitter to send his best wishes to the ailing actor as he fought for his life.
“Prayers up for my brother @BigTommyFord and his family,” he posted.
