What was Michael Clarke Duncan's net worth?
Michael Clarke Duncan was an American actor famous for his imposing stature and his deep, booming voice, who had a net worth of $8 million at the time of his death in 2012. Michael Clarke Duncan was known for his performance as death row inmate John Coffey in the fantasy drama film "The Green Mile." For that performance, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Duncan also appeared in films such as "Armageddon," "Daredevil," and "Sin City," and lent his voice to the animated movies "Brother Bear" and "Kung Fu Panda."
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Michael Clarke Duncan was born in 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. After his father left the family, he and his sister Judy were brought up by his mother Jean, a house cleaner. As a young adult, he attended Alcorn State University in Mississippi as a communications major, but dropped out to support his family when his mother fell ill. Due to his large, hefty figure, Duncan was able to land jobs digging ditches for the Peoples Gas Company and working as a bouncer at Chicago clubs. Briefly, he also played college basketball.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Duncan took security jobs while auditioning for acting work in commercials. He served as a bodyguard for a number of celebrities, including Will Smith, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, and The Notorious B.I.G. When the latter star was murdered in 1997, Duncan quit the business of personal protection.
Film Career Breakthroughs
In 1995, Duncan made his film acting debut with a bit part in the stoner comedy "Friday." Mirroring his professional work outside of the film industry, he later played bodyguards in "Back in Business," "Caught Up," and "The Players Club," and portrayed bouncers in Warren Beatty's political satire "Bulworth" and the comedy film "A Night at the Roxbury," both from 1998. However, it was another film from the same year that launched Duncan to international prominence: Michael Bay's science-fiction action blockbuster "Armageddon." He played the character of Bear, in a large ensemble including Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and Keith David. It was Willis who helped Duncan land his true breakout role as gentle giant John Coffey in 1999's "The Green Mile." Starring opposite Tom Hanks as a magical prison inmate, Duncan garnered a myriad of accolades, including Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Academy Award nominations.
Following "The Green Mile," Duncan appeared in a string of films that helped to solidify him as a star of both comedy and action films. Among his credits in the early 2000s were the crime comedy "The Whole Nine Yards," with Bruce Willis; the family pet comedies "See Spot Run" and "Cats & Dogs"; Tim Burton's remake of "Planet of the Apes"; the Dwayne Johnson action-adventure fantasy "The Scorpion King"; and the superhero film "Daredevil," in which he played the villainous character of the Kingpin.
Later Film Roles
In 2005, Duncan was in the action films "The Island" and "Sin City." In 2006, he had a supporting role in the Will Ferrell comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and also appeared in the crime drama "One Way" and the comedy "School for Scoundrels." This was followed by parts in "The Last Mimzy," "Slipstream," and "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins." In 2009, Duncan portrayed Balrog in the martial arts film "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li," and starred in the lead role in the comedy "The Slammin' Salmon." Subsequent credits include the Mario Van Peebles drama "Redemption Road," and four films released posthumously: "In the Hive," "A Resurrection," "From the Rough," and "The Challenger."
Thanks to his deep, sonorous voice, Duncan was also cast in numerous voice roles throughout his career. He lent his vocal talents to the animated films "Brother Bear," "Delgo," and "Kung Fu Panda," and to live-action films including "Racing Stripes," "Air Buddies," and "Green Lantern."
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Television Career
Duncan made his debut on the small screen in 1995, appearing in two episodes of the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." The same year, he was in episodes of "Renegade," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and "Married… with Children." Later credits in the 90s included "Weird Science," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Sparks," "Living Single," "Built to Last," "Arliss," and "Sister, Sister." In the 2000s, Duncan appeared in a first-season episode of "CSI: NY," played Mr. Colt in the season two premiere of NBC's spy comedy series "Chuck," and guest-starred on two episodes of "Two and a Half Men." After appearing as Leo Knox on the crime procedural "Bones" in 2011, Duncan landed his first starring role on television as the same character in the spinoff series "The Finder," which lasted for 13 episodes.
As he did in the movies, Duncan provided his voice to many television programs. His small-screen voice credits include "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius," "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series," "The Proud Family," "Static Shock," "The Fairly OddParents," "Loonatics Unleashed," "Teen Titans," "Family Guy," "The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange," and "Ultimate Spider-Man," which was released posthumously.
Personal Life
Michael Clarke Duncan dated reality television personality Omarosa Manigault. In July of 2012, he suffered a heart attack, and was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center. At age 54, he passed away in September from complications of the heart attack.
After Duncan's passing, his family claimed that Omarosa changed his will and testament, lied about their engagement, and sold his belongings without anyone's consent. In 2013, Omarosa competed on "The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" to play for Duncan's favorite charity, the Sue Duncan Children's Center. She ultimately won $40,000 to benefit the charity.
Real Estate
In October 2001 Michael paid a little over $1 million for a home in Woodland Hills, California. After Michael's death the home was listed for a bit under $1.3 million. It ultimately sold in May 2014 for $1.15 million.
