I always hate doing these posts.

When I hear about someone whose work I enjoy passing far before their time, it irks me to no end. But I feel the need to pay tribute to them as a small return on the enjoyment that they imparted to me while they were here. So I hate it–but I feel I must do it.

Michael Clarke Duncan was one of those actors who you would recognize instantly even if you didn’t know his name. Looking at his IMDB listing, you can see he was in a lot of projects–either in person or by lending his distinctive voice. Every time he appeared on screen, I felt myself smiling a little and saying “Oh…that guy!”

His look–essentially the “Man Built Like the Proverbial Masoned Lavatory”–was memorable. But he also had depth–playing the tragic (in The Green Mile) and the comedic (in Talladega Nights).

In fact, here is one of my favorite scenes with MCD from Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby…