Michael Clarke Duncan, well known for his role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, died on September 3, 2012. Though he will be strongly missed, his career in the movie industry will not be forgotten for a long time.

Duncan didn’t start out as an actor. For years he was the body guard of celebrities like LL Cool J, Will Smith, Jamie Fox, and The Notorious B.I.G. .After The Notorious B.I.G. was shot  and killed on the spot Duncan retired from his security guard career.

His first credited movie was Armageddon where he met Bruce Willis, who convinced Duncan to try out for a role in The Green Mile which scored him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. What really stood out about this actor was his kind-hearted personality and captivating smile.

After suffering from a serious heart attack on July 13, 2012, he was revived by his wife Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, who performed CPR on him and ultimately helped save his life. He was hospitalized at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center and never fully recovered; he later passed away in the same hospital.

No one ever expects the death of a loved one and it’s always a tragic loss to anyone who was affiliated with that person. Hollywood actor Martin Lawrence spoke of Clarke’s passing, “From the days of him doing security on the Martin show, to us working together on Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, I enjoyed working with him. He will be missed.”

A public viewing of Clarke’s casket was held on September 9, 2012 at the Hall of Liberty in Forest View in Los Angeles.  Hollywood has lost one of its most memorable actors but his movies will carry on his career forever.