Craig “Mums” Grant, who was in all six seasons of HBO’s prison drama Oz, among various film, TV and stage projects, died Thursday of natural causes, according to his representatives. The prolific actor and poet was 52.
While he recently wrapped a role in Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move, Craig “Mums” Grant had been filming a recurring role on Starz’s Hightown at the time of his death, and was even scheduled to travel to Atlanta next week to wrap an arc on Tyler Perry’s upcoming BET+ series, All The Queen’s Men, according to Deadline.
The She’s Gotta Have It actor was born and raised in New York City and competed at the 1996 National Poetry Slam as a member of the Nuyorican team. Craig “Mums” Grant was also featured in the 1998 documentary Slam Nation: The Sport of Spoken Word as well as the early seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam.
Grant’s first major role was as Arnold “Poet” Jackson in HBO’s prison drama, Oz, from 1997-2003. After the series wrapped, Grant made guest appearances in shows such as Boston Legal, The Sopranos, Cold Case, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Luke Cage and more. Film work includes Good Time as Denny, The Brooklyn Heist as Moose, and a part in Side Effects, among others.
On the stage, Craig “Mums” Grant became a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company, which staged A Sucker Emcee, his one man show in 2014. In 2015, his play, “Paradox of the Urban Cliché,” was performed at the Wild Project as part of the Poetic Theater Productions’ Poetic License festival. That same month, Grant played a role in “The Insurgents” that was produced by LAByrinth Theater Company. He also took part in the annual The 24 Hours Plays four times throughout the 2000s on Broadway.
In a joint statement, the poet’s longtime representatives Ellipsis Entertainment Group, Headline Talent Agency, and Ellis Talent Group remembered their dear and phenomenal friend:
We are heartbroken over the loss of one of the most genuine, caring, loving souls we have ever had the pleasure of representing. Craig was more than our client, he was our dear friend. We all just lost a phenomenal man.
Over the last 24 years, Craig “Mums” Grant has been making a name for himself, in film, television, stage, poetry and even with voiceover work in video games. There is no doubt that his legacy will live on in the projects he’s done and the work he has used to influence many people around the world in positive ways. He will be missed forever, but his work will continue to live in the hearts, minds, and TV screens of millions.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.
