Michael Clarke Duncan Was Concerned that His Weight Might Cause Health Problems

Lots of fans around the world were shocked and disappointed to see the demise of actor Michael Clarke Duncan.  Duncan, who just died from a heart attack, was always known for his massive size.  The actor grew up in Chicago Illinois in a single parent household.  He couldn’t finish college at Alcorn state because he had to go home to support his family after his father left the household.

Duncan was typically about 6’5,” 315 pounds, which was how he ended up as a bodyguard for quite a few celebrities, including Will Smith, Jamie Foxx an LL Cool J.   After starting off in a few commercials here and there, Duncan got his big break in the 1998 hit film, “Armageddon.”

Four years later, Duncan had “slimmed down” to 290 pounds.  But his weight loss was considered a liability for the role he was trying to obtain as Kingpin, the gangster bad guy in the movie, “Daredevil.”  Even at his already enormous size, producers asked Duncan to gain another 40 pounds to play the role.   Duncan refused to regain the weight for the sequel, since he felt that it would be detrimental to his health.

In 2009, Duncan became a vegetarian and lost a great deal of weight as a result.  But it was too late for the changes to keep him alive past the age of 54.  Duncan suffered a myocardial infarction in July and eventually died on September 3.

You have to wonder if the weight played any role in his death.  The American Heart Association says that being overweight can be a huge risk factor when it comes to having significant heart trouble.  This is especially true for those who have fat around the abdomen.  One can only speculate on whether Duncan’s weight played a role in his death, but he appeared to be concerned about the health consequences of his size before he died, and the early end of his life might be a warning for the rest of us.

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