30 Rock's Grizz Chapman Dies at 52

Grizzwald “Grizz” Chapman, who played Grizz on 30 Rock, died at age 52. His cousin Donte Harrison announced the death, saying Chapman fought illness and dialysis with strength and dignity until he passed peacefully in his sleep on May 22, 2026. His representative confirmed the news. Chapman met Tracy Morgan while working as a bouncer at a strip club and later played Tracy Jordan’s closest entourage members, Grizz and Dot Com. He described challenges in getting acting roles due to his size and said he earned his part through hard work. He starred in other projects, including a YouTube series and appearances on The Black List and Blue Bloods. He had kidney disease, received a transplant in 2010, and became a National Kidney Foundation spokesperson. He is survived by his wife and two children.

"“Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end,” he wrote. “After years of fighting illness and dialysis, he passed peacefully in his sleep on May 22nd, 2026.”"

"“I worked hard to get the part, and a lot of people think that because Tracy and me are friends, I automatically got the part,” Chapman told CBR in 2012. “What I can say is that Tracy was an integral part in me keeping my job because there were four members of the entourage originally, but NBC came to Tina Fey and Tracy and said they couldn't pay for all four. So Tracy said we're gonna keep just two guys, which included me. I made the cut. I worked hard to get there. I worked really hard.”"

"“I get a lot of the time, 'We don't know how to market you or you're too big.' Or, 'We have one of you already,'” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012. “But you don't have one of me already; you don't have a seven foot, lovable guy. You don't have that.”"

"Chapman suffered from kidney disease, and received a transplant in 2010. He became a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation that same year. He is survived by his wife and two children."

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