More sad news to report this evening. Michael Clarke Duncan has passed away, his fiance tells AP.
Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke’s fiance, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault, stating that the 54 year old actor died Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital after two months of treatment following a heart attack on July 13.
Duncan was best known for his role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He is also recognized for his appearances in famous films such as Armageddon, The Whole Nine Yards, Brother Bear, and Daredevil.
He was to star in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s Sin City sequel, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
This is indeed sad news. Duncan was always a likable presence in film, no matter what that movie was.
I recall recognizing him for the first time in Armageddon–one of my least favorite movies ever made–and being glad he was there to lighten the mood while simultaneously having my first thought upon seeing him be ‘that guy would make one hell of a John Coffey’. And truly, he did. In fact, he brought more to the role than I would have expected.
He was easily the best part of the Scorpion King, Planet of the Apes, Daredevil and I’m tempted to post a clip of him singing Donna Summers from Talladega Nights. He was good on The Finder too.
For all you Netflix junkies, you can catch him giving a strong and sympathetic turn in a decent little indie faith drama ‘Redemption Road’.
God speed, MCD.