We all would like to think we knew him in some way. He seemed like the coolest, nicest most engaging bull of a man with a deem velvety voice made famous in The Green Mile, The Whole Nine Yards, a bunch of animated voice overs and dozens of other roles.
Michael Clarke Duncan was one of the celebrity guests in 2007 at Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night, an annual fundraiser here in Phoenix hosted by "The Greatest" as well as David Foster the musical quarterback. Foster pulled Duncan up on the stage as Foster had discovered he was a ringer in in the crowd who sang a tune and directed it to his girlfriend at the time. No, I wasn't even close to the stage, I shot with my 300mm lens from the back of the banquet room at the Marriott Desert Ridge. I never even met him. But it was one of those memorable moments to watch a star who you just really like and whom you feel sad about when you find out that he passed away far too young at only 54.
Rest in Peace Mr. Duncan, we will all miss you and your talent.
BTW, if you would like to publish this image from 2007, it is represented by Corbis: http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-18118425/usa-muhammad-alis-celebrity-fight-night-xiii?popup=1
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