Duncan died Monday morning at Cedars-
Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, where
he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiancée, reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, in a
statement released by publicist Joy Fehily, reports The Associated Press.
The muscular, 6-foot-4 (1.96 metre) Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30s, "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," the statement said. "Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date."
In the spring of 2012, Duncan had appeared in a video for PETA, the animal rights organization, in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a vegetarian three years earlier.
"I cleared out my refrigerator, about $5,000 worth of meat," he said. "I'm a lot healthier than I was when I was eating meat."
Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer with a surprisingly gentle demeanour and extraordinary healing powers.
Duncan's performance caught on with critics and moviegoers and he quickly became a favourite in Hollywood, appearing in several films a year. He owed some of his good fortune to Bruce Willis, who recommended Duncan for "The Green Mile" after the two appeared together in "Armageddon." Duncan would work with Willis again in "Breakfast of Champions," ''The Whole Nine Yards" and "Sin City."
His industrial-sized build was suited for everything from superhero films ("Daredevil") to comedy ("Talledega Nights," ''School for Scoundrels"). His gravelly baritone alone was good enough for several animated movies, including, "Kung Fu Panda," ''Delgo" and "Brother Bear." Among Duncan's television credits: "The Apprentice," ''The Finder," ''Two and a Half Men" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."
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.
Source:-THIS DAY
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Be the first to comment!
Post a Comment
Don't just read and walk away, Your Feedback Is Always Appreciated. I will try to reply to your queries as soon as time allows.
Note:
1. If your question is unrelated to this article, please use our Facebook Page.
2. Please always make use of your name in the comment box instead of anonymous so that i can respond to you through your name and don't make use of Names such as "Admin" or "ADMIN" if you want your Comment to be published.
3. Please do not spam, spam comments will be deleted immediately upon my review.
Regards,
Nwachukwu Justus