South Side Chicago native & actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies at age 54

The world has lost another great Chicago bred talent.....Oscar-nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan, the star of Frank Darabont's prison tale "The Green Mile," has died. He was 54.

The South Side Chicago native, and White Sox loyalist, rose to fame playing a hulking death row inmate with a special psychic gift in the 1999 film, adapted from the novel by Stephen King. The role, which cast him opposite Tom Hanks, earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

Duncan was born on the South Side and was raised, along with his sister, Judy, by his mother, Jean in the Kenwood neighborhood, his sister said. According to the Internet Movie Database, his mother refused to let him play high school football, so he turned to acting. After high school, he played basketball at Kankakee Community College and worked for Peoples Gas before moving to Hollywood.

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing roughly 315 pounds, Duncan parlayed his considerable size into a career as a Hollywood security guard, working for the likes of Will Smith and the rapper Notorious B.I.G. His first movie role came in 1998's "Armageddon" with Bruce Willis; Willis later helped the fledgling actor land the "Green Mile" gig. He suffered a myocardial infarction July 13 and never fully recovered. The 54-year-old actor died Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment.

The definition of a true Chicagoan

 I actually had the pleasure of working with Michael Clarke Duncan in 2005 on a song that I produced called "Step 2 This". I was in a recording session at Studio Chicago working on a project, and he happened to be in the building. He peeked in and asked if he cud sit in for a few moments. How was I going to tell this big dude the word NO!! I couldn't even concentrate with him being in the room because....maan...that's the dude from The Green Mile!! THEN, he had the nerve to ask if he could say a few words on the song that we were doing!! ONCE AGAIN.....how was I going to tell this big ole dude NO!! I mean c'mon.....He was the King Pin in Daredevil!! He went into the booth, went over a skit that we came up with, developed the character, and laid vocals. After he completed what we rehearsed, he asked if he could lay a verse......ONCE AGAIN, I WAS NOT GOING TO TELL HIM NO!! I mean C'mon....he's worked with John McClain AKA Bruce Willis!! He laid down a rap that went from one end of the instrumental to the other, and when he said he wanted more time....we gave him more time!! He wasn't a Jay-Z type, but I mean c'mon.....the man was in The Players Club and Friday with Ice Cube the great!! And when everything was said and done, he was gone...like POOF!! I kicked myself for not getting a pic or an autograph....But I will always have the song. Hit me up if you wanna hear it.