'30 ROCK'S' GRIZZ NEEDS A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT: Actor who plays Tracy Morgan's money manager seeks help on today's 'Dr. Oz.'

      Doctors told him he must lose over 75 pounds before he can be eligible, so Grizz has turned to Dr. Oz for help in losing the weight and staying as healthy as possible until a kidney becomes available. The actor will tell his story on today's episode of "The Dr. Oz Show."

      "A lot of this stuff is new to me. Opening up is something I have to learn how to do if I'm going to be in this business," Chapman, 35, told the New York Daily News following the taping. "At first I didn't want to do it, but I felt that it would be a good situation for me to enlighten people to what's going on."

      Grizz says he is suffering from severe hypertension that has him on a dialysis machine three times a week.  In today's episode, Chapman reveals that he ignored his high blood pressure for 10 years, even refusing to take medication for his condition. Now, according to Oz's "Truth Tube," Chapman has only 5% function of his kidneys.

      "It's a painful problem for physicians to see because it's preventable," Oz said. "There are more than 25,000 cases of kidney failure in America each year because of high blood pressure, and the African-American community is especially at risk.

      "I learned a lot today about what's going on in the minds of folks living with high blood pressure and not managing it," he said.

      Chapman and Oz met at the 8th Annual Kidney Walk to benefit the National Kidney Foundation Serving Greater New York in October. Oz vowed to help Chapman but in return, asked him to become the face of hypertension in America.

      Oz also had Kevin Brown, aka "Dot Com," Chapman's co-star on "30 Rock," come on the show to help support his friend.

      "He's getting that transplant!" Brown told the audience. "I'll lose the weight with him. For every 10 pounds he loses, I'll lose one pound. That's a deal!"

      Doctors have told Grizz that the kidney transplant wait is at least five years. Oz has assembled a team of medical experts to help Chapman take the right steps to stay healthy until a kidney becomes available for him. Chapman is trying to stay positive, and says that just talking with Oz "makes you feel like you're healed already."

      But Oz is quick to point out that Chapman still has a long road ahead of him.

      "The reality of the prognosis is ... we don't know," said Oz. "It depends on how things are managed. It's like being at the halftime of a game. We didn't play so well in the first half, but there are a lot of opportunities moving forward. He's got a winning spirit, and if we follow his story carefully, everyone's going to learn a lot from it."