Grizz Chapman, who played Tracy Jordan’s pal and bodyguard Grizz on “30 Rock,” has died at the age of 52, TMZ reports. He reportedly passed away on Friday; no cause of death has been released.
Chapman began appearing as Grizz when “30 Rock” debuted on NBC in 2006, pairing up with Kevin Brown’s Dot Com as the personal protectors and sounding boards for Tracy Morgan’s erratic comedian Tracy Jordan. (Chapman later said he met Morgan while working as a bouncer at a strip club.) He went on to appear in 80 episodes across all seven seasons, with the show wrapping up its Emmy-winning run in 2013.
Chapman went public with his battle with kidney disease, becoming a spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation. He appeared on “The Dr. Oz Show” in 2009, revealing that he was undergoing dialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant. A year later, he received a kidney from a donor.
In addition to “30 Rock,” Chapman also appeared on “The Good Fight,” “The Blacklist,” and “Blue Bloods.”