‘Oz’ Star Granville Adams Dies at 58

Actor Granville Adams, best known for his work as Zahir Arif in HBO’s 'Oz,' has died following a battle with cancer, Deadline reports. He was 58.

October 11, 2021

CMultiple friends and creatives, including show-runner Tom Fontana, confirmed the news of Adams’ death on Sunday.

“Goodnight, sweet prince/and flights of angels sing thee to they rest #granvilleadams #oz,” Fontana wrote of the actor on Instagram alongside a photo of Adams.

Adams appeared in all six seasons of Oz, and had roles in NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Streets, Fox’s Empire, and 2011’s Magic City Memoirs.

He documented his cancer battle on Instagram, with his last post being shared in August, in which he wrote “135 pounds of post radiation badness.”

Adams was remembered by those he worked closely with throughout the day on Sunday, including Oz alumni Dean Winters and Kirk Acevedo.

“His smile was infectious, his chuckle was intoxicating,” Winters wrote on Instagram. “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. You are my brother and I’m a better human being for knowing you RIP G.”

Acevedo, who played Miguel Alvarez in the show, remembered Adams as his “brotha.”

“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,” he wrote on Twitter. “Until then… Rest easy my friend. Granville Adams.”