<P> Michael Clarke Duncan ( December 10 , 1957 -- September 3 , 2012 ) was an American actor , best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile ( 1999 ) , for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and various similar honors . He also appeared in motion pictures such as Armageddon ( 1998 ) , The Whole Nine Yards ( 2000 ) , The Scorpion King ( 2002 ) , Daredevil ( 2003 ) and Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ( 2006 ) . His voice can be heard in films such as Brother Bear ( 2003 ) , Kung Fu Panda ( 2008 ) and Green Lantern ( 2011 ) . </P>
who played john coffey in the movie the green mile
Michael Clarke Duncan