Actor Grizzwald Chapman, who stars as “Grizz” on NBC’s hit comedy series 30 Rock as one half of Tracy Jordan’s 2-man entourage, needs a new kidney, but may have a hard time getting one because of his weight.
At 378 lbs. the 6-foot-11 Chapman has been deemed overweight and is not a viable candidate. He’s been ordered by doctors to lose more than 75 pounds before he can be considered for the procedure.
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In the battle to drop the extra weight Chapman, 35, has sought the help of television doctor, Dr. Oz and will appear on The Dr. Oz Show to discuss his condition and the neglect that led to the illness, including ignoring his high blood pressure.
“It’s a painful problem for physicians to see because it’s preventable. There are more than 25,000 cases of kidney failure in America each year because of high blood pressure, and the African-American community is especially at risk,” says Oz. “The reality of the prognosis is … we don’t know. It depends on how things are managed. It’s like being at the halftime of a game. We didn’t play so well in the first half, but there are a lot of opportunities moving forward. He’s got a winning spirit, and if we follow his story carefully, everyone’s going to learn a lot from it.”
Chapman’s co-star on 30 Rock Kevin Brown (“Dot Com”) joined him on the program and vowed to support his quest to lose weight and get healthy, “He’s getting that transplant! I’ll lose the weight with him. For every 10 pounds he loses, I’ll lose one pound. That’s a deal!”
Chapman faces a 5-year wait for an available kidney.
