Duncan earned a career-changing Oscar nomination for "The Green Mile." 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.
Duncan's other films included "Daredevil," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and the Mark Wahlberg "Planet of the Apes" remake.
Hollywood poured out condolences following Michael Duncans death on Twitter. Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as The Rock, also reached out having starred alongside Duncan in 2005's The Scorpion King.
He wrote: 'When something happens, we always say it happens for a reason ~ Michael Clarke Duncan 12/10/57 - 9/3/12 I'll miss you my brother.'
Extra host Mario Lopez referred to Duncan as a 'class act', saying: 'R.I.P Michael Clarke Duncan... One of the nicest & most professional guys I've had the pleasure of knowing. So sad.'
Duncan credited his Armageddon oil-rig boss, Bruce Willis, with whom he would go on to work with in Sin City, Breakfast of Champions and The Whole Nine Yards, for recommending him to Green Mile director Frank Darabont.
Before Duncan became an actor, he worked as a bodyguard for stars including Jamie Foxx and Will Smith. He left the security business when one of his clients, the Notorious B.I.G. was killed in 1997.
