Goodbye to the Big Guy

Attention- local Chicago Sven fans- important update for this Saturday: Unfortunately, the last-minute scheduling of a college football game means that the 3 pm U Too Sven movie “The Bat” will be pre-empted, and will not be seen. So, sadly, the only 3 pm U TOO Saturday movie left will air on the 15th. Sorry this week’s airing got bounced. Just about everyone I know who heard the news of the passing of actor Michael Clark Duncan reacted the same way-“awww, no! I really liked him!” Sadly, the big guy passed away due to complications of a heart attack he suffered a couple months ago. The term “gentle giant” seemed to have been created for Michael-a huge imposing figure of a man; he was very kind, respectful, and good-natured. Raised here in Chicago, by a single mother ( who would not let her boy play football in high school!), and avoiding the pitfalls of his neighborhood of alcohol and drugs, got involved in acting in school and in community theater. His blue collar origins, working as a ditch-digger for a gas company after graduating, seemed light-years away from an acting career that would include an Oscar nomination. He also moonlighted as a bouncer and a bodyguard, and that’s how he got into acting- he got a job in a commercial as a drill sergeant, then moved on to roles as bodyguards (hey- if he could do it in real life, it was a cinch that he could do it onscreen!) His big break came when he landed the role of “Bear” in “Armageddon”- and won the respect and friendship of Bruce Willis, who worked with him in other movies, and encouraged the big man to audition for director Frank Darabont, who was going to bring Stephen King’s fantastic serialized novel “The Green Mile” to the big screen. …and with that role, his career took off. His versatility is amazing- watch him in “Green Mile”- as the gentle, supernatural prisoner, fraught with so many emotions-then watch him as the cold, calculating, and deadly Wilson Fisk- the Kingpin” in “Daredevil”. His co-workers loved and respected him- pro wrestler turned actor “the Rock”- Dwayne Johnson- was a big fan of Duncan, and, when the two co-starred in “the Scorpion King”, learned how gentle the man was. While shooting a fight scene, Duncan leaned a little too far forward, and Johnson’s elbow smacked the big man hard enough to knock him to the ground. “The Rock” was ready to go hide in his trailer, fearing the wrath of the huge actor, but Duncan forgave his friend- and they continued! That reminded me – Duncan was a fan of pro wrestling, and could often be seen at ringside for WWE shows when he was in the same town where they performed. He was also a White Sox fan. A fan of the Chicago Bears, he actually tried out for the team in the 80s! Sadly, I never met him, so I have no idea if he was a Svengoolie fan...but I certainly am a fan of this wonderful man who left us far too soon. He had switched to a healthier lifestyle earlier this year, getting rid of meat in his diet, and had trimmed down his huge physique. He was planning on marrying his girlfriend, reality show personality Omarosa, next January. She was actually responsible for keeping him alive when he suffered that heart attack in July, by performing CPR on him – but severe enough damage must have occurred to his heart at that time. It’s very sad that a heart attack would claim a man who had such a good heart- and so much talent.