Sad news to close out the Labor Day weekend as Oscar-nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan has died at the age of 54. He had suffered a heart attack back in July and never fully recovered. The news of his passing was released through his fiancee, The Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.
Duncan started out as a bodyguard for famous celebrities and musicians, particularly hip hop artists, but when he gave that up after the death of Biggie Smalls he began a career as an actor. Considering his imposing physique and distinctive voice it wasn't long before he caught Hollywood's eye, beginning with a non-speaking role in Friday before making his big breakout in Michael Bay's Armageddon. The role emphasized Duncan's jovial, good-natured spirit and physical toughness that would become his trademark. Those attributes would come into play again just a year as Duncan beautifully embodied the role of Death Row inmate John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Going on to show his increasing range in movies as varied as Sin City, Talladega Nights, and Kung Fu Panda, Duncan was a man who loved what he did, he loved acting, and that love was obvious in every single performance he gave. We hear at Punch Drunk Critics send our condolences to his family and close friends.
