Grizz Chapman dead at 52 after 30 Rock run

grizz chapman, the longtime 30 Rock cast member best known for playing a character with his own name, died at 52 on Friday, May 22, 2026. His death closes the run of a performer who moved from live club work to a network sitcom and later built an audience online.

30 Rock and Grizz Chroniclez

Chapman was born in Brooklyn on April 16, 1974, and reached seven feet tall. Tracy Morgan later cast him and Kevin Brown as the primary two confidants to his characters on 30 Rock, while Chapman also built a following through his YouTube sketch video series Grizz Chroniclez.

That combination put him in a narrow lane inside the business: a recognizable sitcom player with a separate digital presence. He also appeared in The Good Fight, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, adding credits that kept his face in circulation beyond the NBC series.

Kidney disease and 2010

Chapman had battled kidney disease for many years, and he underwent a kidney transplant in 2010 after spending years on dialysis. He leaves behind a wife and two children, a detail that gives the loss a sharper personal edge than the résumé alone does.

Donte “Hammer” Harrison, his cousin, said on Instagram, “Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end” and “After years of fighting illness and dialysis, he passed peacefully in his sleep on May 22nd, 2026.” He also wrote, “I’m thankful we got time to reconnect two months before his passing. Rest easy, cousin. Your name and legacy will live on forever.”

Donte Harrison’s tribute

Harrison also said, “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 right note to leave on: Chapman’s career was visible on television, but the family statement turns the news from a credit list into a loss that reaches beyond the screen.