In 1999, Michael Clarke Duncan shocked the world with his performance in The Green Mile. The following year, the actor earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for taking on the heartfelt and tragic role of John Coffey.
Interestingly enough, The Green Mile hit theaters on Dec. 10, Duncan’s birthday, making him 42 when the movie was released. The film, which was an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name, propelled the actor to new heights, and cemented his status as an elite performer.
The Green Mile was Michael Clarke Duncan’s greatest role
While Tom Hanks’ Paul Edgecomb may have been the main character, it was Duncan’s John Coffey who stole the show and served as The Green Mile‘s most memorable character.
Convicted and sent to death for a gruesome crime he never committed, Coffey’s character is the heart of the story and (literally) shines in each scene he’s in, thanks to Duncan’s incredible and emotional performance. Describing the character in the documentary Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile, Duncan said: “John Coffey stands for everything that’s right in the world. If you see an old lady crossing the street and you go over to help her, to me, that’s John Coffey.”
Nobody could have brought Coffey to life like Duncan, and fans have Bruce Willis to thank for Duncan landing the role. The action star spoke with director Frank Darabont, claiming he had found John Coffey. “Bruce Willis was the main person that first told me about The Green Mile. He said, ‘Michael, they’re gonna be making a movie about this dude named John Coffey.’ He said, ‘I’m gonna call Frank Darabont and tell him that I found John Coffey,” Duncan explained in the documentary. (Fans also have Shaq to thank because, apparently, he turned down the role. No, seriously.)
After The Green Mile, Duncan landed several high-profile roles, including The Whole Nine Yards, Planet of the Apes, The Scorpion King, Daredevil, and Sin City. And, of course, who could forget his hilarious outing in Talladega Nights.
Michael Clarke Duncan tragically passed away in 2012 at age 54.