Grizz Chapman, Fan-Favorite "30 Rock" Star, Dies at 52
Grizz Chapman, the towering actor who spent all seven seasons of 30 Rock as Grizz Griswold — one half of Tracy Jordan's beloved entourage alongside Kevin Brown's Dot Com — has died. He was 52.
Chapman died Friday, May 22, after years of battling illness and dialysis. His agent Renee Glicker confirmed the death to Deadline. "We are very sad for his family and friends and for all who knew him and worked with him," Glicker said. "For all seven feet, 380 lbs of him, he was a very sweet man who loved his family very much. He enjoyed working on 30 Rock every minute. His poor health curtailed his career unfortunately." A cause of death was not officially released. He is survived by his wife Diana and their two children.
The Role That Defined Him
Chapman was born April 16, 1974, in Brooklyn, New York. At seven feet tall — one of the few actors in Hollywood at that height — he spent years working as a bouncer before a chance encounter changed everything. Tracy Morgan met him while Chapman was working security at a strip club, and Morgan cast him in 30 Rock as Grizz Griswold, a loyal member of fictional star Tracy Jordan's inner circle.
The character was loosely self-referential — both on the show and in real life, Grizz and Dot Com were Tracy's two closest confidants, often serving as the voice of reason amid chaos. What could have been a minor recurring role grew into something the show's fans genuinely loved. Brown and Chapman appeared in all seven seasons, from the pilot in 2006 through the finale in 2013, and became as much a part of the 30 Rock ensemble as any of the principal cast.
Brown confirmed Chapman's death in a Facebook post. "I regret to inform you that Mack Chapman aka Grizz Chapman passed today," he wrote, alongside photos of the two of them on the show. "May he RIP."
Health Struggles and Advocacy
Chapman's health battles were long and public. He suffered from severe hypertension that progressed to serious kidney disease, and spent time on dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant in July 2010. He used his platform to raise awareness, signing on as a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation in March 2010 and appearing on The Dr. Oz Show in December 2009 to speak about hypertension and kidney disease.
His cousin confirmed after his death that Chapman had continued fighting illness and dialysis in his final years, writing that he "passed peacefully in his sleep" and noting they had been able to reconnect two months before his passing.
In 2013, Chapman spoke candidly to The Hollywood Reporter about the challenges of being seven feet tall in an industry that rarely knew what to do with him. "I mean, why can't a seven-foot guy play a doctor?" he asked. It was a question he never stopped pressing. Beyond 30 Rock, he appeared in Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, and The Good Fight, and had a role in Adam Sandler's 2014 film The Cobbler. He also created his own YouTube variety series, Grizz Chroniclez, where he wrote, produced, and starred in sketch comedy on his own terms.
What the Show Meant
30 Rock ran from 2006 to 2013 and remains one of the most acclaimed comedies in television history, with multiple Emmy wins and a devoted following that has only grown in the streaming era. Within that ensemble, Grizz and Dot Com were fan favorites who could have easily been background characters but became something more — funny, warm, and reliably human in a show full of absurdist energy.
Chapman leaves behind a role that 30 Rock fans will not forget and a career cut short by illness that he fought with patience and public generosity for more than 15 years.
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