20 Things You Didn’t Know About The Green Mile
18. Bruce Willis Got Michael Clarke Duncan The Gig
Darabont had been struggling to find an actor who could inhabit the pivotal role of John Coffey, the gentle giant wrongly accused. Ving Rhames and Shaquille O’Neal had been considered, but Rhames was a suave and savvy presence in front of the camera, while O’Neal wasn’t an actor and couldn’t be relied upon to hit the emotional beats required.
it was Bruce Willis who stepped in and saved the day, as he tended to do back in those days. He heard about the open casting call and suggested the late Michael Clarke Duncan, who he’d just worked with on Armageddon.
Duncan blew everyone away: the movie works on many levels, but it doesn’t work at all without him.