Green Mile star Michael Clarke Duncan died yesterday aged 54 following a heart attack in July. The Oscar nominated actor was being treated in an LA hospital, according to his fiancée Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. Omarosa said she was ‘devastated’, adding, “He was the love of my life.” Acting legend Tom Hanks, who was Duncan’s Green Mile co-star, released a heartfelt message, saying, “I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of The Green Mile. He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned.” The actor’s death came “very suddenly” with reports saying Omarosa was present in the hospital room before shortly leaving for a while. When she returned, Duncan had died. Duncan appeared in dozens of films, including blockbusters Armageddon, Planet of the Apes and Kung Fu Panda. The 6ft 5in, 300lb actor had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1999, which he lost to British legend Michael Caine for his performance in The Cider House Rules. Omarosa’s statement, which referred to her for the first time as Duncan’s fiancée was, “The Oscar-nominated actor suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered.” Both public and private memorials are being planned, reports said. Green Mile director Frank Darabont paid tribute to the actor, saying, “He was one of the finest people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with or knowing. Michael was the gentlest of souls - an exemplar of decency, integrity and kindness. The sadness I feel is inexpressible.” The Green Mile, based on the Stephen King novel, saw Duncan play convicted murderer John Coffey alongside Hanks, a corrections officer at a 1930s penitentiary.
