"A good heart, good energy, and somebody who made an impact in this life," his cousin, Donte “Hammer” Harrison, wrote on Instagram
Credit: Andrew Toth/FilmMagic
NEED TO KNOW
- Grizz Chapman, known for his role on 30 Rock, died on Friday, May 22
- His representative confirmed to TMZ that the 52-year-old had died
- “A good heart, good energy, and somebody who made an impact in this life,” the actor’s cousin, Donte “Hammer” Harrison, wrote on Instagram
Grizz Chapman, best known for playing a character who shared his name on 30 Rock, died on Friday, May 22. He was 52.
The fictional Grizz worked as a bodyguard for Tracy Morgan's Tracy Jordan character. He often shared scenes with Kevin Brown, who played Tracy's other bodyguard, Dot Com.
"I regret to inform you that Mack Chapman aka Grizz Chapman passed today," Brown wrote on Facebook, alongside stills of the two on the NBC sitcom. "May he RIP."
TMZ was the first to report Chapman's death, citing a longtime rep for the actor. No further details were reported, but TMZ reported that his wife and two children are "devastated."
PEOPLE also reached out to his rep.
Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Harlem Globetrotter Donte “Hammer” Harrison wrote on Instagram that Chapman, whom he mentioned was his cousin, had been "fighting illness" for years and was on dialysis. Harrison said Chapman died in his sleep.
“Life gave my cousin Grizz Chapman some heavy battles, but he fought them with strength and dignity until the very end,” Harrison said. “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.”
"I’m thankful we got time to reconnect 2 months before his passing," Harrison wrote. "Rest easy, cousin. Your name and legacy will live on forever."
After his role in 30 Rock, Chapman also appeared in Blue Bloods, The Blacklist and The Good Fight. He also created a sketch YouTube series, Grizz Chroniclez.
Chapman shared his final Instagram post on May 17. The post shows the actor dancing at a convention, next to an image of actor Sean Astin.
He is survived by his wife and their two children.
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