‘30 Rock’ Star Grizz In Need Of Kidney Transplant

“30 Rock” cast member Grizzwald (Grizz) Chapman is in the midst of a medical scare that is no laughing matter.

According to the New York Daily News, Chapman, who suffers from severe hypertension and undergoes dialysis treatment three times a week, is hoping to get a kidney transplant – but his large frame is keeping him off the donor recipient list.

The 35-year-old actor, who is 6-foot-11 and weighs 378 pounds, must lose 75 pounds before he is considered a viable candidate for a kidney transplant. If the actor does lose the weight, the wait for a kidney would likely be at least five years.

“A lot of this stuff is new to me. Opening up is something I have to learn how to do if I’m going to be in this business,” Chapman told the Daily News following the taping of an episode of “The Dr. Oz Show,” airing on Tuesday. “At first I didn’t want to do it, but I felt that it would be a good situation for me to enlighten people to what’s going on.”

Chapman and Dr. Oz reportedly met at the National Kidney Foundation’s 8th Annual Kidney Walk in New York, where the doctor vowed to help the ailing actor if he in return took on the role of the face of hypertension in America.

On Tuesday’s episode, Chapman reportedly said he ignored his high blood pressure for over 10 years and refused to take medication. His kidneys are currently functioning at only five percent of their normal capacity.

“It’s a painful problem for physicians to see because it’s preventable,” Dr. Oz says in Tuesday’s episode. “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. I learned a lot today about what’s going on in the minds of folks living with high blood pressure and not managing it.”

Chapman has the support of his “30 Rock” co-star had Kevin Brown, who plays Dot Com on the hit NBC comedy.

“He’s getting that transplant!” Brown said. “I’ll lose the weight with him. For every 10 pounds he loses, I’ll lose one pound. That’s a deal!”

Dr. Oz noted that though Chapman will have to fight to overcome his medical hurdles, and that he still has a long hard road ahead of him.

“The reality of the prognosis is … we don’t know,” Dr. Oz said. “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.”

Access has reached out to “30 Rock” for a statement, but has not yet heard back from the NBC show.

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