\'Green Mile\' actor Duncan dead at 54

Michael Clarke Duncan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in \"The Green Mile,\" an adaptation of a Stephen King work, died Monday at age 54, his representatives said. Duncan \"passed away peacefully today,\" the manager, Dan Spilo, told AFP. \"He was a great man with a huge heart, and it was an honor and a privilege to represent him.\" Duncan\'s girlfriend Omarosa Manigault, one-time star of the reality television show \"The Apprentice,\" asked for privacy through Duncan\'s publicist Joy Fehily. The actor \"suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered,\" Fehily said in a statement. \"Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.\" Born in Chicago on December 10, 1957, Duncan moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. The imposing actor, who was 6\'5\" (1.96 meters), worked as a bodyguard for Will Smith and Jamie Foxx while securing smaller roles. His breakthrough performance came when he was cast as convict John Coffey in \"The Green Mile,\" a man wrongly accused of child murder and rape, who has supernatural powers. Tom Hanks co-starred as a prison guard. Beyond his Oscar nomination, Duncan also earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nods. Duncan acted in about 50 films. He was notably featured in \"Armageddon,\" a role that was the stepping stone to his casting in \"The Green Mile.\"