There are movie roles for which we'll remember certain actors for the rest of our lives. Sylvester Stallone will always be Rocky to me or Rambo for others. Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be remembered as the Terminator. Eddie Murphy will always be Prince Akeem from Coming to America. And I'll always remember Michael Clarke Duncan for his role as "John Coffey" in Green Mile. I actually always referred to him as "Green Mile."
Michael Clarke Duncan passed
away this Monday at the age of 54 due to heart complications from a heart
attack he suffered almost 2 months ago in July. Ironically, last May he tweeted
"Being a vegetarian was the best life choice I've ever made all natural all
organic!" Sometimes, God inexplicably has an expiration date on our lives that
may be earlier than we anticipated. When he suffered the heart attack, he was
actually resuscitated by his fiance and former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigualt-Stallworth.
I was sad to hear the news of
his death. I don't know the guy but I couldn't help but develop a fondness for
his character portrayal of a gentle giant for which he also received an Oscar
nomination. You almost believe his character to be true-to-life when you see
interviews of him and take in his big, baritone laugh. He almost did seem like
John Coffey. A humble giant.
He jumped up and down and
placed a friend in a headlock out of sheer joy when he found out he was merely
nominated for an Oscar for the 200 film. He Tebow-ed and thanked the Lord for
his nomination and you felt happy for him when you realized how far he had come
in his career. From the tough Southside of Chicago to digging ditches to
working as a security/bodyguard for celebrities to becoming a successful actor
with numerous blockbusters under his belt.
Acting is a hard way to make a financial living. In fact, it may be impossible for some. So it's always heart-warming when you read about the success of those like Michael Clarke Duncan who grew up in tough situations and dropped out of college to pursue a dream that is ridiculously difficult to realize. I'm sure his hulking and imposing stature won him a lot of roles but there is no denying that diligence was the most important ingredient to his success.
In the movie Green Mile, John Coffey (Duncan) heals his warden's (Tom Hanks) body which reinvigorates Hanks to go home and make love to his wife. John Coffey actually grabbed his Hoo-Ha's and healed them. In fact, later in the movie, he resurrects a little mouse that was stepped on.
His role in that movie, although simplistic and unassuming, was what had me referring to Duncan as "Green Mile." The role mean that much Even though he died from a broken heart, I'm sure healed a lot of the hearts of the world with that role. Duncan left the world a little better than he found it.
May we keep his fiance, who
also lost her brother last year, and his family in prayer and that they would
find the strength to move on from this tragedy.
May you rest in the Lord,
Michael Clarke Duncan.
The self-proclaimed Zig Ziglar of rap,
Billy Delgado, is a Music Producer/Artist and Writer by day and sleeping
pillow-drooler by night. He is currently producing the debut album for his band
The 288's, a God-inspired Hip Hop/R&B group that combines soul-baring
lyricism with an electric innovative sound, breaking from the norm and reaching
all cultures & ages (save senior citizens). He still can't believe he's
a family man with a beautiful wife Mari & three boys Chris, Nelson and
Joshua, so he continues to pinch himself silly to this day.