Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957September 3, 2012) was an American actor. He was best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in "The Green Mile" (1999), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and other honors, and for playing Kingpin in "Daredevil" and "" (both 2003). He also appeared in motion pictures such as "Armageddon" (1998), "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), "Planet of the Apes" (2001), "The Scorpion King" (2002), "Sin City" (2005), and "" (2006), as well as in the role of Leo Knox in the television series "Bones" (2011 ) and its spin-off "The Finder" (2012). He also had voice roles in films such as "Brother Bear" (2003), "Kung Fu Panda" (2008), and "Green Lantern" (2011), and as Benjamin King in the video game "Saints Row" (2006). Early life. Duncan was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in a single-parent household with his sister, Judy, by his mother Jean Duncan (a house cleaner) after his father left. When he was younger, he wanted to play football, and tried out for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League, but decided to become an actor instead when his mother  refused to let him play. He always wanted to act, but had to drop out of the communication program at Alcorn State University to support his family when his mother became ill. Duncan's large frame— and —helped him in his jobs digging ditches for Peoples Gas Company and being a bouncer at several Chicago clubs. Duncan also played basketball at Kankakee Community College and for one season for the Alcorn State Braves. In 1979, he participated in the Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox, where 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. Career. Duncan took various security jobs 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 The Notorious B.I.G., all the while doing bit parts in television and films. When rapper Notorious B.I.G. was killed in 1997, Duncan quit the personal-protection business. After having begun his  career with several bit parts playing bouncers in films such as "Bulworth" and "A Night at the Roxbury", Duncan first came to prominence when he was cast as Bear in the blockbuster Michael Bay action film "Armageddon" (1998). During the production of the film, Duncan struck up a friendship with castmate Bruce Willis and it was Willis' influence that helped him to get his breakout role as gentle giant John Coffey in the Frank Darabont film "The Green Mile" (1999). Starring alongside Tom Hanks, Duncan's performance 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. Following his role as Coffey, Duncan was then cast in a string of films that helped to establish him as an actor in both action and comedy roles: "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000), "See Spot Run" (2001), "Planet of the Apes" (2001), "The Scorpion King" (2002), and "Daredevil" (2003), in the last of which he played Kingpin from Marvel Comics. When Duncan was cast as the Kingpin in 2002, he faced the dual challenge of portraying a typically white character and  having to gain to fit the character's large physique. In July 2006, Duncan showed interest in returning for the role of the Kingpin, but stated that he would not be willing to regain the weight that he had lost. In 2009, he stopped eating meat and later appeared in a PETA ad campaign, touting the health benefits and his increased strength from a vegetarian diet. In 2005, Duncan appeared in two action films, "The Island" and "Sin City", in which he played Manute, a powerful mobster. Critic Roger Ebert singled out Duncan for praise for his role in "The  Island", writing that "[Duncan] has only three or four scenes, but they're of central importance, and he brings true horror to them." Duncan appeared in a supporting role in the 2006 comedy "" as Lucius Washington and, in 2009, Duncan played Balrog in "" and starred as the titular Cleon "Slammin Salmon in Broken Lizard's farce "The Slammin' Salmon". Famous for his deep, resonant voice, Duncan also did voice roles for films such as "Brother Bear" (2003) and its sequel "Brother Bear 2" (2006), "Kung Fu Panda" (2008), and "Green Lantern" (2011) playing the voice of Kilowog from DC Comics  alongside Ryan Reynolds. His other voice roles include TV series such as "Loonatics Unleashed" and "", Quiznos commercials, and a number of video games such as "", "SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs", "", "Saints Row", "Soldier of Fortune", and "God of War II", where he provided the voice of the Titan Atlas. He additionally reprised his role as the Kingpin in "". In addition to his film roles, Duncan also guest starred in numerous television shows. Among these, he appeared in an episode of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and a first-season episode of "". In 2008, he appeared as "Mr. Colt" in  the second-season premiere of "Chuck", "Chuck Versus the First Date" and as a guest star on two episodes of "Two and a Half Men". Most notably, in April 2011, Duncan guest starred on an episode of TV series "Bones" as Leo Knox which, in 2012, led to Duncan receiving his first starring role as the same character in the spinoff series "The Finder". The "Bones" Season 8 episode "The Partners in the Divorce", which aired three weeks after his death, was dedicated to him. During the week of May 14, 2012, Duncan appeared as a guest on the late  night talk show "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" when the show was taping for a week in Scotland. Duncan was one of the show's most frequent guests, appearing a total of 18 times, and, the day after Duncan's death in September, Ferguson began his show with a tribute to him. In January 2013 during "The Late Late Show"s winter break, reruns of the Scotland episodes were broadcast with a tribute to Duncan at the beginning of each of the five episodes, featuring Duncan on a pink background and the text "In memory of our friend Michael  Clarke Duncan." Personal life. At the time of his death, Duncan was dating reality television personality Omarosa Manigault. His family later claimed that Omarosa changed his will and testament. They also claimed that Omarosa manipulated Duncan in his final days, lied about their engagement, and sold his belongings without the family's knowledge. In 2013, Manigault appeared in the cast of "The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" and played in Duncan's honor for his favorite charity and one he had benefited from himself, the Sue Duncan Children's Center. In episode 2 of the season, Manigault won $40,000 for  the charity. Duncan trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California, in which he held a purple belt. Death. Duncan was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center after suffering a heart attack on July 13, 2012. By August 6, he was moved from the intensive care unit but remained hospitalized. On September 3, Duncan died in the hospital from complications of the heart attack; he was 54. On September 10, 2012, a private funeral was held for Duncan in Los Angeles. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.