Multi-talented Michael Clarke Duncan passed away of a heart ailment on September 3, 2012.
His death is a great loss to American cinema.
He will be missed.
Read all about him from Wikipedia.
Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957 – September 3, 2012) was an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
He is also recognised for his appearances in motion pictures such as Armageddon, The Whole Nine Yards and Daredevil, as well as voice acting roles in Brother Bear and Delgo.
Duncan was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in a single-parent household with his sister and mother.
Duncan's large frame — 196 cm and 142 kg — helped him in his jobs digging ditches for the People's Gas Company and being a bouncer at several Chicago clubs.
Duncan stated that one of his many jobs had been a stripper and that his stage name was Black Caesar.
In 1979, he participated in the Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox.
He was among the first 100 people to run onto the field and he slid into third base.
During the ensuing riot his silver belt buckle was stolen while he was stealing a baseball bat from the dugout.
Clarke would later provide the narration for the 2005 World Series film.
Duncan took other security jobs while in Los Angeles while trying to get some acting work in commercials.
During this time, he worked as a bodyguard for celebrities like Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J and Notorious BIG, all the while doing bit parts in television and films.
When Notorious was killed in 1997, Duncan quit this line of work.
In 1998, Duncan was cast as Bear in the film Armageddon, where he struck up a friendship with castmate Bruce Willis.
It was Bruce Willis' influence that helped him to get his breakout role as John Coffey in the Frank Darabont-directed The Green Mile, a role which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor In A Supporting Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture.
Duncan then acted in a string of films that helped to establish him as a star - The Whole Nine Yards, Planet Of The Apes, The Scorpion King (where he starred alongside his friend Dwayne Johnson), The Island and Daredevil as Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin.
In 2005, he starred in the film Sin City (again alongside Bruce Willis) as Manute, a powerful mobster.
Duncan appeared in a minor role in the 2006 movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby as Lucius Washington.
He also guest starred in numerous television shows - The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody and CSI: NY.
