For seven seasons, he was the gentle, steadying presence in Tracy Jordan’s entourage on the hit sitcom '30 Rock.' Grizzwald Chapman, the actor and tireless kidney health advocate, died on May 22, 2026, at the age of 52. His life was defined by a singular mission of medical resilience, transforming from an imposing Brooklyn bouncer into a public symbol of survival and advocacy.

Before his television fame, Chapman worked security in New York, where a chance meeting with Tracy Morgan eventually led to his role on the NBC sitcom. While his physical stature was his professional calling card, his time on the set was marked by a private struggle with severe hypertension and kidney disease. According to the National Kidney Foundation, Chapman required dialysis treatments three times a week while maintaining his filming schedule. He later described the experience with stark realism, stating that dialysis is tough and that he wanted his story to encourage others to see a doctor.

The turning point in his life came through a rigorous display of discipline. To qualify for a life-saving kidney transplant, Chapman lost approximately 160 pounds through a strict regimen of diet and exercise. This effort culminated in a successful transplant at Montefiore Medical Center, where he received a kidney from an altruistic donor named Ryan Perkins. Chapman noted that he had no life before the transplant and could not plan anything, expressing deep gratitude for the second chance he was given.

His professional relationships mirrored the warmth he brought to the screen. Actor Kevin 'Dot Com' Brown observed that working with Chapman changed his life and that the actor touched the lives of millions. Chapman leveraged his platform to serve as a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation, promoting organ donation awareness. Even after facing personal setbacks, such as the destruction of his home in 2024, he remained a fixture in the industry with roles in 'Blue Bloods' and 'The Blacklist,' as noted by Prime Video. He will be remembered as a man whose greatest strength was not found in his physical size, but in the vulnerability he shared to save lives.