Granville Adams: 4 Things To Know About The ‘Oz’ Actor Who Was Called A Ray Of Sunshine
Actor Granville Adams died Sunday (Oct. 10) at age 58, losing his battle against cancer. An official update on Monday said the Oz star was “surrounded by loved ones” when he passed away.
“After a long hard-fought battle with Cancer, Granny has ascended to the heavens,” the Instagram post on his account stated. “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.”
Adams, who appeared in all six seasons of Oz, also appeared on Empire, and Homicide: Life on the Street. A GoFundMe account was started to help offset the cost of medical bills incurred while he was trying to fight the disease. Friends, fans, and family have raised over $100,000 to aid his wife in meeting those hospital bill expenses.
Adams had a life that was far bigger than the result of his death. Here are four things to know about actor Granville Adams.
His Acting credits go beyond Oz
Adams, who was born in New York native and grew up in Harlem, is best known for his role as Zahir Arif on HBO’s Oz, where he was a cast member in all six seasons from 1997-2003 of the acclaimed show, according to Variety. His character was incarcerated for possession of stolen goods but transformed his life behind bars through Islam. The actor also appeared on NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street as Officer Jeff Westby and in Empire.
He once faced a four-year prison sentence
In real life, Adams was cleared of criminally negligent homicide charges in 2007 involving an altercation at a Manhattan nightclub in which a man died, according to The New York Times. Orlando Valle crashed against an elevator door that became unhinged during a scuffle, fell four stories and landed on top of the elevator car. Adams’ lawyer said he acted in self-defence.
“A glass was broken over Mr. Adams’s head, and somebody jumped on his back. Mr. Adams rolled his shoulder to throw the person off him, and the person hit the elevator doors,” said his attorney Edward M. Kratt to the New York Times.
Facing four years behind bars, the Manhattan district attorney ultimately dropped the charges.
He shared his battle with cancer on social media
In December 2020, Adams announced he had cancer in an Instagram post of himself in a hospital bed with a defiant Instagram message saying, “F**K CANCER.”
He maintained a positive attitude against daunting odds and painful chemotherapy. In July, after a treatment, he posted, “135 pounds of post radiation badness,” followed by three Black biceps emojis.
He remained upbeat in a June post that showed the sunrise from his hospital window. “Good morning, enjoy today and all of its endlessly beautiful possibilities,” he wrote.
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He’s survived by his wife
According to The Sun, Adams and his wife Christina did not have any children together. Christina is a private person, typically avoiding the limelight during their marriage. There’s little known about her as she also doesn’t appear to have a public social media platform. She was alone with her husband when he passed away.
Close family friend Amanda Marie Cerreto told the Miami New Times that Adams was "one of the most beautiful humans you could ever meet. He was such a gentleman. He loved his garden, he loved playing golf, and he loved Christina, his wife."
