Granville Adams, best known for his portrayal of Zahir Arif in HBO’s Oz, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 58.
Adams’ family confirmed the news on Sunday, writing on the actor’s Instagram page, “Today our beloved Granville Adams has passed and is now with God. After a long hard-fought battle with Cancer, Granny has ascended to the heavens. Gran spent his last days surrounded by his loved ones, family, and close friends. His wife Christina was by his side the entire time and was alone with him when he passed.”
Several of Adams’ Oz cast and crewmates shared tribute posts on social media. “Goodnight, sweet prince/and flights of angels sing thee to they rest #granvilleadams #oz,” wrote Oz showrunner/executive producer Tom Fontana on his Instagram page.
“I lost my brotha today after a long battle with cancer,” tweeted Kirk Acevedo, who played Miguel Alvarez in the hit HBO series. “I don’t do well with loss because I’m unfamiliar with it. Yo Granny we’ll be chopping it up on the other side one day. Until then… Rest easy my friend.”
I lost my brotha today after a long battle with cancer.
I don’t do well with loss because I’m unfamiliar with it.Yo Granny we’ll be chopping it up on the other side one day.
Until then…
Rest easy my friend.Granville Adams pic.twitter.com/mL04Mw4wjY
— KID VICIOUS (@kirkacevedo) October 10, 2021
Meanwhile, fellow Oz star Harold Perrineau added, “You can’t always cry, sometimes you’ve got to CELEBRATE the time you had together. Brittany and I LOVE this man and the entire group of family/friends that we all created. Sleep well Prince! We’ll see each other again.”
Adams appeared in all six seasons of Oz, first in a guest role and was later upped to recurring. He also appeared on NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Streets. His most recent role came in the 2011 coming of age movie Magic City Memoirs.
Earlier this year, Fontana and Oz star Dean Winters created a GoFundMe campaign to support Adams and his family with medical bills. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised over $100,000, exceeding its $69,500 target.
“As many of you know, our friend and brother Granville Adams has been diagnosed with cancer,” Fontana wrote on GoFundMe in January. “In only a few months, the medical bills have skyrocketed to astronomical levels. Not only does he have to battle this ruthless disease, but now he has to fend off the hospital bills the insurance company refuses to pay.”
In his own tribute post, Winters wrote, “I first met Granny in 1992 and I immediately drank the Kool Aid. His smile was infectious, his chuckle was intoxicating. He never, ever spoke ill of anyone and I defy anyone who knew him to say anything negative about this man. Granville was beloved, period… A humble, beautiful soul who just elevated the afterlife to a whole new level. You will be missed my friend.”
