Driving home from a two-day vacation over the Labor Day weekend I learned Michael Clarke Duncan had passed away at the age of 54. He was hospitalized in July of this year after suffering a heart attack and he was never able to fully recover, passing away on Monday, September 3.
It’s terribly sad news. All I can think of when I think of Duncan beyond his obviously massive 6′ 5″ frame, was his ever-present smile. His performances in films such as The Green Mile and Armageddon stand out for me personally. The latter of which being the first time I remember seeing him, particularly his introduction, holding a giant wrench on his shoulder, standing in the way of Bruce Willis as he chased after Ben Affleck.
A year later he would star in The Green Mile, for which he would earn an Oscar nomination for his performance opposite Tom Hanks. He would go on to star in films such as Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes, Sin City, The Island as well as providing voice work for Kung Fu Panda. He was expected to reprise his role in the upcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. It would be great if director Robert Rodriguez finds some way to give him a remembering nod somewhere in the film.
Duncan’s most recent film role was voicing Killowog in Green Lantern and he still has two films left to be released — In the Hive for Robert Townsend and The Challenger for writer/director Kent Moran.
His talents on screen will be missed.
