There are people in television who never carry the show but make it impossible to imagine without them. Grizz Chapman was one of those people.
Grizzwald "Grizz" Chapman, the Brooklyn-born actor whose recurring role as Grizz on NBC's 30 Rock made him one of the most warmly regarded supporting figures in the history of that show, died on Friday, May 22, 2026. He was 52. He passed peacefully in his sleep.
His longtime representative Saideh A. Brown confirmed the death. He is survived by his wife Diana, whom he married in 2002, and their two children.
The Man Behind the Character
Born April 16, 1974 in Brooklyn, Chapman towered at seven feet tall. He was working as a bouncer when he met Tracy Morgan, who cast him and Kevin Brown as his character Tracy Jordan's two loyal confidants - Grizz and Dot Com - in 30 Rock, which ran from 2006 to 2013. It was the kind of break that does not come from auditions or agents. It came from a friendship, a chance meeting, and a person whose presence was simply impossible to ignore.
In addition to 30 Rock, Chapman appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, and The Good Fight, and created his own YouTube variety series called Grizz Chronicles.
A Long and Quiet Battle
What many fans did not see behind the laughter on screen was a man who had been fighting for his life for years. Grizz Chapman battled kidney disease for more than two decades - a fight that included years of dialysis three times a week and a kidney transplant in 2010. He later became a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation, using his platform to raise awareness about kidney disease.
When a television interviewer once asked him what his greatest wish was while he was waiting for his transplant, his answer was not fame or fortune. He said he wanted to see his children grow up.
That is the kind of answer that tells you everything about a person.
His cousin, Donte "Hammer" Harrison of the Harlem Globetrotters, shared a tribute on Instagram that captured the man behind the role: "Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end. A lot of people knew him as the sitcom star from 30 Rock, but we knew the man behind the screen. A good heart, good energy, and somebody who made an impact in this life."
That is the Grizz Chapman worth remembering. Rest in peace.
May 22, 2026. Age 52.
