Oz and Homicide: Life On The Streets star Granville Adams dies at 58 following a battle with cancer

Granville Adams, who was best known for playing a Muslim inmate on HBO’s dark prison drama Oz, has died at age 58.

The actor, who also had a recurring role on the acclaimed series Homicide: Life On The Streets, had been battling cancer prior to his death.

The news was first announced Sunday by Adams’ Oz costar Kirk Acevedo on his Twitter account.

‘I lost my brotha today after a long battle with cancer,’ he began. ‘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.’

Adams first appeared to share his cancer diagnosis in December 2020, when he posted an Instagram photo of himself masked up in a hospital bed, simply captioning it: ‘F*** CANCER!’ 

The actor shared several selfies in recent months as he continued to get treatment for his cancer, and he seemed to remain upbeat while battling the illness.

However, Adams apparently struggled with paying his medical bills and had not been able to work throughout the pandemic. 

Old friends: The news was first announced Sunday by Adams’ Oz costar Kirk Acevedo on his Twitter account

Defiant: Adams first appeared to share his cancer diagnosis in December 2020, when he posted an Instagram photo of himself masked up in a hospital bed, simply captioning it: ‘F*** CANCER!’

In January of this year, Adams’ Oz costar Dean Winters and the show’s creator and executive producer Tom Fontana got together to create a GoFundMe to help cover his hospital bills, as well as rent and other necessities.

Though the goal was originally set at $69,550, the campaign had raised nearly $100,000 at the time of his death.

Oz was the actor’s most enduring series, running for six seasons and 56 episodes — 48 of which he appeared in — on HBO.

The grim prison drama was acclaimed by critics, though its unrelentingly dour tone and sometimes extreme violence could turn off audiences.

Adams was credited as a guest for the series’ first two seasons, beginning in 1997, before being promoted to a supporting player until the series’ end in 2003.

He appeared as Zahir Arif, the second in command to Kareem Saïd (Eamonn Walker), who led a group of Muslims in a fictional men’s prison.

Helping hand: In January of this year, Adams’ Oz costar Dean Winters (center left) and the show’s creator and executive producer Tom Fontana got together to create a GoFundMe to help cover his hospital bills

Support: Though the goal was originally set at $69,550, the campaign had raised nearly $100,000 at the time of his death

Adams’ other major role was on NBC’s gritty police drama Homicide: Life On The Streets, which was also executive produced by Fontana.

He appeared on 11 episodes from 1996–1999 as Officer Jeff Westby, and he reprised the role for Homicide: The Movie in 2000 after the end of the series.

Adams’ other roles were in the 2002 film Empire and 2011’s Magic City Memoirs. 

Prior to starring on Oz, Adams played Officer Jeff Westby on Homicide: Life On The Streets, and he appeared in the 2002 film Empire and 2011’s Magic City Memoirs; seen in 2003