Michael Clarke Duncan Birth Anniversary: From Kingpin to John Coffey, 5 of the Late Actor’s Best Roles That You Should Definitely Check Out

Michael Clarke Duncan was one of those actors that you couldn’t help just love. A humble man who was amazing in everything he did, Duncan made sure to make the best out of everything. He was a powerhouse of a talent that gave his best to every role and film and made sure to be a standout in every film. Even if the films were a dud, Duncan would make sure to be the most entertaining part about them. Roger Moore Birth Anniversary: From Octopussy to The Spy Who Loved Me, 5 Best James Bond Movies of the Former 007 Actor Ranked According to IMDb.

Duncan has never given a dull performance and that just speaks volumes of his caliber as an actor. He was charismatic, emotional, intense in all of his roles and that’s range that just comes naturally. The man was a born actor. So to celebrate his birth anniversary, let’s take a look at five of his best roles that you should definitely check out.

Lucius (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)

Like the movie’s title, the film is the tale about Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver. Duncan plays the role of Lucius here who is Ricky’s pit boss. He can be quite the serious character at times, but Duncan has a few comedic moments here and there that really pop up like a surprise. He can be a real highlight in those moments.

Manute (Sin City)

Duncan’s second role as a comic book villain, he starred in Sin City as the mob boss Manute. Duncan was quite good and imposing in the role. He felt like a giant and an imposing threat. His look was also quite intimidating as he had a busted eye. Honestly watch Sin City, it’s one of the most underrated comic book films out there.

Vachir (Kung Fu Panda)

Kung Fu Panda is a film with an enormous and extremely impressive voice cast. Following the adventures of Po is as fun as animated movies get. In a surprise role, Duncan voiced the rhino commander Vachir whose job was to keep Tai Lung imprisoned. While the role was short, Duncan was quite hilarious in it.

Kingpin (Daredevil)

Well this might be controversial for some, but I absolutely loved Duncan’s portrayal of the iconic Marvel villain in ‘2003s Daredevil. Kingpin was that role for Duncan where he just hammed it up and it was extremely entertaining to watch. Duncan as Kingpin is quite the unconventional casting and I ate it up. He also returned to play the character in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series the same year. Happy Birthday Tom Hanks! Here's Why the Toy Story 4 Actor is Considered to be the Nicest Person in Hollywood.

John Coffey (The Green Mile)

This was the role that brought Duncan on the map and established him as quite the serious actor. One of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s novels, Duncan portrays the role of John Coffey. Coffey is a man with healing powers who is wrongly accused of a crime. Duncan gives an extremely emotional performance in Coffey that will surely leave you in a bunch of tears by the end.

Michael Clarke Duncan is one of those actors that was taken away from us way too soon. He was an amazing talent whose absence is still felt in Hollywood. While he is no longer with us, he has left us with many amazing memories and would love to dedicate this day to him.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2021 09:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).