Grizz Chapman, actor who played Grizz in 30 Rock, dies aged 52

Grizz Chapman, best known for his role as Grizz on the hit comedy 30 Rock , has died aged 52. His cousin, the Harlem Globetrotter Donte Harrison, confirmed Chapman’s death on social media on Saturday. No cause of death has been given but Harrison said Chapman died in his sleep on Friday “after years of fighting illness and dialysis”. “Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end,” Harrison wrote. The actor, who stood at 2.13 metres (7ft) tall, had been diagnosed with kidney disease and was a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation. While filming 30 Rock he spent a year in dialysis treatments, three days a week for four hours a day. He received a kidney transplant in 2010. Chapman was born in Brooklyn in 1974. He first met his future 30 Rock costar Tracy Morgan while Chapman was working as a bouncer at a strip club and the two men became friends. Chapman was working as a bodyguard when he was cast in a commercial and decided to switch to acting. “I made $20,000 for 40 minutes of work, so I thought I was in the wrong business at that point and I needed to change,” he said in a 2012 interview with CBR . Despite changing careers for the money, Chapman loved the work: “Once I got into acting, I realised it’s more than just standing there. There’s more to it. …