Character actor Grizzwald “Grizz” Chapman died Friday, May 22, from natural causes. He celebrated his 52nd birthday on April 16. He suffered from severe high blood pressure that led to kidney failure.
Chapman had undergone a kidney transplant in 2010 and he went into renal failure over the years. He was on kidney dialysis before he died.
Chapman became a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation in 2010.
He played a bodyguard, also named Grizz, for Tracy Morgan’s character on “30 Rock.”
Actor Kevin Brown, who played fellow bodyguard “Dot Com” on 30 Rock, announced his costar’s passing in a Facebook post on Friday: “I regret to inform you that Mack Chapman aka Grizz Chapman, passed today. May he RIP.”
In his commentary for the episode “Tracy Does Conan”, Morgan revealed that he met Chapman when he worked as a bouncer at a strip club.
Chapman created his own comedy YouTube sketch series, “Grizz Chroniclez”.
Chapman is pictured with his youngest son, Christian Chapman, at “Uncle Drew” film premiere in NYC.
Harlem Globetrotter Donte “Hammer” Harrison wrote that he was Chapman’s cousin and that Chapman died after battling an illness.
Chapman is survived by his wife, Diana Chapman, and their 2 sons. TMZ reported that his wife and children are “devastated.”
“Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end,” Harrison wrote. “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. After years of fighting illness and dialysis, he passed peacefully in his sleep on May 22nd, 2026 I’m thankful we got time to reconnect 2 months before his passing. Rest easy, cousin. Your name and legacy will live on forever.”