The Buckingham

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Michael Clarke Duncan, the Oscar-nominated star of The Green Mile, has died.  He was 54.

Duncan, a 6-ft., 5-in, 300-lb. actor, died from never fully recovering from his July 13 heart attack.

Prior to becoming an actor, the Chicago-raised Duncan had worked as a ditch digger for a gas company.  When he moved to Los Angeles, he immediately began working as a bodyguard for the likes of Jamie Foxx and Will Smith.

His big break into the acting business was his performance as imprisoned convicted murderer John Coffey in the 1999 hit The Green Mile.  It earned him a supporting-actor Academy Award nomination.  He’s also appeared in films like Armageddon and Planet of the Apes.

At the time of his death, Duncan had been engaged to Rev. Omarosa Manigault, a former star of The Apprentice.