Grizz Chapman, '30 Rock' Actor, Dies at 52
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- Grizz Chapman died Friday at age 52, according to a Facebook post from his '30 Rock' co-star Kevin Brown.
- Donte "Hammer" Harrison, a Harlem Globetrotter who identified himself as Chapman's cousin, said Chapman passed peacefully in his sleep on May 22, 2026, after years of fighting illness and dialysis.
- Chapman played a bodyguard of the same name on NBC's '30 Rock' alongside Kevin Brown's Dot Com, both serving as the security detail for Tracy Morgan's character across the show's run.
- Per commentary for one of '30 Rock's' episodes, Chapman first met Tracy Morgan while working as a bouncer at a strip club, and the pair became friends — a real-life dynamic that fed directly into their on-screen pairing.
- Chapman and Brown appeared together on an episode of HGTV's 'Hidden Potential', extending their on-screen partnership beyond the sitcom.
- After undergoing a kidney transplant, Chapman became a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation, using his post-surgery platform to raise awareness.
- Chapman is survived by his wife and two children.
Why it matters: Chapman and Kevin Brown formed the comedic backbone of Tracy Morgan's entourage across all seven seasons of '30 Rock,' and Chapman's post-transplant advocacy work for the National Kidney Foundation gave his public profile a second life beyond sitcom fame — making his loss felt in both the comedy and health-awareness communities.
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