Actor Granville Adams, best known for playing Zahir Arif on HBO’s acclaimed prison drama Oz, passed away at 58 after a long battle with cancer, USA Today reports.

On Monday, an official update was shared to Adams' Instagram account by his family. 

"After a long hard-fought battle with Cancer, Granny has ascended to the heavens.,” the post read. “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." 

"Granny is now in peace and not suffering anymore,” the post continued. “He fought till the end with a strength, beauty, and grace like no other, putting his family before himself til the final moments. Granville would not want us to be sad! Granny would want us all to smile and remember the best times we had with him, and share the love we learned from him! Granny may have left the building, but he will forever be in our hearts!"

Tom Fontana, executive producer, and showrunner of Oz, shared the news of Adams’ passing on Instagram Sunday.

“Goodnight, sweet prince/and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest,” Fontana’s post red, 70.

Back in December 2020, Adams had revealed he was battling cancer sharing an Instagram post of himself in a hospital bed.


"135 pounds of post radiation badness," he wrote. 

Following the tragic announcement, Fontana and Oz star Dean Winters, 57, created a GoFundMe page to help cover the Adam’s medical costs.

“As many of you know, our friend and brother Granville Adams has been diagnosed with cancer,” Fontana wrote on the fundraiser’s page. “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,” he continued

At the time of Adam’s death, the campaign had raised almost $100,000 in contributions.

From 1997 to 2003, Adams starred as Zahir Arif on Oz. Prior to Oz, he had a recurring role as Officer Jeff Westby on the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street from 1996 to 1999. He later reprised the character in the big-screen spin-off, Homicide: The Movie.

He is survived by his wife, Christina.