Actor Michael Clarke Duncan Dead At 54

Posted: Sep 03 2012

Read More: Armageddon, Kung Fu Panda, Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile

HOLLYWOOD – Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan passed away at Los Angeles hospital at the age of 54.

Duncan, who was a known character actor, died on Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack.

The ‘huge’ actor played in such notable movies as Armageddon, Planet of the Apes and Kung Fu Panda.

He received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a death row inmate in ‘The Green Mile’.

Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile. Photo Credit: Photo News

Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30s, “suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered” according to a statement released publicist Joy Fehily.

Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.

Michael Clarke Duncan passed away at the age of 54 on Monday. Photo Credit: Photo News

Michael Clarke Duncan – summary:

Born in Chicago in 1957, Duncan was raised by a single mother whose resistance to his playing football led to his deciding he wanted to become an actor.

But when his mother became ill, he dropped out of college, Alcorn State University, and worked as a ditch digger and bouncer to support her.

By his mid-20s, he was in Los Angeles, where he looked for acting parts and became a bodyguard for Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and other stars.

The murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., for whom Duncan had been hired to protect before switching assignments, led him to quit his job and pursue acting full-time.

- From SMH.COM.AU