Tom Hanks - Michael Clarke Duncan Remembered By Celebrities At Funeral

The funeral of MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, a four-hour memorial service on Monday (10th September 2012) at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Los Angeles, saw numerous celebrity friends remember the erstwhile actor, reports CBS News.

Tom Hanks, Jay Leno, Holly Robinson Peete, Loretta Devine and Stevie Wonder all gathered to pay their respects and celebrate the life of Michael Clarke Duncan, who died at the age of 54 following a heart attack which he never fully recovered from. The Green Mile star, best known for his role alongside Hanks, touched the hearts of many with his heartfelt performances, none more than his co-star in the Frank Darabont classic. Hanks, 56, spoke fondly, and anecdotally about his friend, telling stories about his ventures into Chicago gangs, only to be thwarted by a swift whack to the head from his mother. "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," joked Hanks, who like many, affectionately remembers the 6-foot-5-inch, 300-pound Duncan.

Some couldn’t muster a jovial story, though, and were drawn to more heartfelt tributes. "Just to see such a pure heart and pure kindness, and to see it taken so early," Jay Leno said, his voice cracking. "There are no sadder words than what might have been". The most prominent tributes allude to Duncan’s strength of character, and warm nature. "No one had a more positive spirit than Michael Clarke Duncan," Darabont said.