R.I.P. Michael Clarke Duncan (1958 - 2012)

 

Academy Award nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, best known for playing a death row inmate alongside Academy Award winner Tom Hanks in the 1999 drama "The Green Mile", died on Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, less than eight weeks after suffering a heart attack, his publicist Joy Fehily said. He was 54.

The muscular, 6-foot-4 Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30's, "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," the statement said. 

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930's. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer with a surprisingly gentle demeanor and extraordinary healing powers.

Duncan's performance caught on with critics and moviegoers and he quickly became a favorite in Hollywood, appearing in several films a year. He owed some of his good fortune to Bruce Willis, who recommended Duncan for "The Green Mile" after the two appeared together in "Armageddon." Duncan would work with Willis again in "Breakfast of Champions," "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Sin City".

His industrial-sized build was suited for everything from superhero films ("Daredevil") to comedy ("Talledega Nights," "School for Scoundrels"). His gravelly baritone alone was good enough for several animated movies, including, "Kung Fu Panda," "Delgo" and "Brother Bear". 

"Do you leave the light on after bedtime? 'Cause I get a little scared in the dark sometime if it's a strange place." 

R.I.P. Michael Clarke Duncan (1958 - 2012) 



 Michael Clarke Duncan signing autographs (2010)