Michael Clarke Duncan Funeral: Tom Hanks Shares Memories of 'Green Mile' Co-Star
Star-Studded Private Memorial Service Sees Bruce Willis, Holly Robinson Peete, Charlie Sheen
Actor Tom Hanks gave a quirky eulogy at the private memorial held for fellow actor and "Green Mile" co-star Michael Clarke Duncan, who passed away in early September due to complications following a heart attack.
Hanks proceeded to tell a variety of colorful stories regarding the actor, joking about Duncan's "loopy and huge handwriting."
"It looks like a 12-year-old girl who loves horses wrote it," Hanks joked.
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The 56-year-old actor also related one story of Duncan's close call with joining a gang while growing up on the South Side of Chicago, and his strong relationship with his mother.
Hanks mimicked Duncan's deep voice, telling a laughing audience that when Duncan came home to tell his mother he was going to join a gang, she hit him in the head with a frying pan.
"If it wasn't for that mama and the frying pan with a pork chop, we would not be here today celebrating the life of Michael Clarke Duncan," Hanks rambled to the the crowd.
Shortly after speaking at the memorial service, Hanks also spoke to HLN-TV in an interview in which he described Duncan as "a guy who celebrated the moment."
"Mike was in charge of love. He just had a zest and joy," Hanks told HLN shortly after speaking at funeral, referencing Duncan's presence on the set of the movie 1999 movie "The Green Mile".
When HLN asked Hanks what Duncan's legacy is, Hanks responded with: "It's [his] laugh."
Hanks joined an array of Hollywood A-listers for the private memorial which took place Monday, Sept. 10 on the Forest Lawn in Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, Calif. Among those seated behind Hanks as he related his memories of Duncan was Holly Robinson Peete. She shared a photo of herself with Hanks on Twitter, writing, "Tom Hanks was so gracious today at Michael Clarke Duncan's beautiful service."
On July 13, 2012, Duncan suffered a heart attack in his Los Angeles home. The actor remained in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following his heart attack, and ultimately died Sept. 3 after never fully recovering.
At the time of his death, Hanks released a statement in which he said he was "terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of 'The Green Mile.' He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned."
Other celebrities who attended Monday's ceremony included Jay Leno, Charlie Sheen, and Bruce Willis.
Duncan, who stood at 6-feet-5-inches and weighed 300 pounds, starred in such memorable movies as "The Green Mile," "Armageddon," and "Sin City." At the time of his death he had been engaged to Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.
