Chapman's family and representatives are honoring his fight, with cousin Donte Harrison praising his 'strength and dignity until the very end.' The focus is on his legacy as a beloved sitcom star who touched countless lives.
Insiders reveal Chapman was in rough shape for yearsβhis manager told TMZ he was 'just struggling to stay alive' and needed another kidney transplant after his 2010 one. His seven-foot frame made finding a match nearly impossible, which may have contributed to his death.
Chapman died Friday at age 52 after years battling illness and undergoing dialysis. He had received a kidney transplant back in 2010 but required another one due to complications from his extraordinary seven-foot height, which complicated medical matching.
Behind the laughs on '30 Rock' was a man fighting an uphill battle just to survive. Chapman's tragic early death is a reminder that fame doesn't shield anyone from life's cruelest realities.
Grizz Chapman, best known for his scene-stealing role as Grizz Griswold on NBC's Emmy-winning comedy "30 Rock," has died at age 52, multiple outlets reported Friday. The actor passed away after years of serious health struggles that his manager described as a constant fight just to stay alive. Manager Renee Glicker confirmed to TMZ on Saturday that Chapman had been dealing with significant medical issues leading up to his death, revealing the actor was "just struggling to stay alive" in his final months.
The star needed another kidney transplant after undergoing one previously in 2010βbut finding a match proved especially difficult due to Chapman's extraordinary seven-foot stature. His cause of death remains undetermined, though Glicker told the outlet she suspects there are "a number of contributing factors." The news hit Hollywood hard Friday when word spread about the beloved comedian's passing. Longtime representative Saideh A.
Brown confirmed the loss to TMZ, while Chapman's cousin Donte "Hammer" Harrison of the Harlem Globetrotters took to social media with a heartfelt tribute that offered fans their first glimpse into his final years. "Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end," Harrison wrote alongside a photo of himself on a basketball court with Chapman. "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 that made an impact in this life." According to Harrison, Chapman passed peacefully in his sleep Friday after years of battling illness and undergoing dialysis treatments. Chapman appeared on "30 Rock" opposite Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan from 2006 through the series' conclusion in 2013. Beyond his television work, he once opened up to The Hollywood Reporter in 2012 about the frustrations that came with being a seven-foot-tall actorβspecifically how his height often pigeonholed him into limited roles.
"I mean, why can't a seven foot guy play a doctor? Why can't I be a teacher? Why can't I be a football coach?
Why can't I be a cab driver? Anything. Anything else than that," Chapman said at the time.
"I can cry. I can do those things that they think the big guys can't do. So just give us a chance." Chapman is survived by his wife and two children, who sources say remain "devastated" following his death.
Harrison concluded his tribute with a note of gratitude for the time they had: "I'm thankful we got time to reconnect 2 months before his passing. Rest easy, cousin. Your name and legacy will live on forever."
