After a battle with cancer, actor Granville Adams has passed away at the age of 58.
Adams was primarily known for his six seasons of work on HBO’s gritty prison drama, “Oz,” where he played Zahir Arif, a burglar who finds salvation in Islam while incarcerated.
Adams revealed on an Instagram post back in December, 2020, that he was fighting cancer. The New York Post confirmed that “Oz” executive producer and showrunner, Tom Fontana, 70, and “Oz” star Dean Winters, 57, then created a GoFundMe page to help defray the actor’s medical costs. On the page, Fontana explained the situation:
“As many of you know, our friend and brother Granville Adams has been diagnosed with cancer. 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. We want to gather together and show Granville our love by clearing this quarter’s bills, giving Granville concrete support in his fight against this vicious disease.”
Adams’ death was shared on Fontana’s Instagram: “Goodnight, sweet prince/and flights of angels sing thee to they rest.”
Granville Adams also starred as Officer Jeff Westby in NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” from 1996 to 1999; was in the post-cancellation film, “Homicide: The Movie” (2000); and played a minor role in the ABC hit, “Empire,” in 2002.
Many of his various co-stars took to social media to express their sadness and appreciation for the actor.
“I first met Granny in 1992,” said “Oz” co-star, Dean Winters, “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.”
“I lost my brotha today after a long battle with cancer, I don’t do well with loss because I’m unfamiliar with it,” tweeted fellow co-star Kirk Acevedo, 49, who portrayed Miguel Alvarez in the HBO show. “Yo Granny we’ll be chopping it up on the other side one day. Until then… Rest easy my friend.”
Harold Perrineau, 58, who played Augustus Hill on “Oz,” offered his condolences on Instagram. “I LOVE this man and the entire group of family/friends that we all created. Sleep well Prince! We’ll see each other again.”
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