When Michael Clarke Duncan died, his friends and family gathered at his memorial service to pay tribute to him. Tom Hanks opted to lighten the atmosphere with a humorous childhood story about Duncan.

Duncan’s Green Mile co-star began telling him a story Duncan had previously told him. Even Tom Hanks struggles to keep a straight face as he recounts the boyhood incident.

Duncan grew raised in Chicago, where there were numerous gangs. Duncan decided one day that he wanted to join a gang that had a trademark red patch in their hair.

So after allowing the gang to beat him up as an initiation, Duncan saunters home to show off his new affiliation to his mama. Hanks is in tears as he recalls her reaction to the news.

Duncan’s mother, who was a tiny little thing, hits the boy over the head with a frying pan. She tells him to borrow a pair of scissors from his sister and cut the red patch out of his hair.

Then Duncan had to go down the street and tell the gang that his mama said he couldn’t be a part of their group anymore. Hanks cannot stop laughing as he reveals that the gang beat Duncan up again.

Michael Clarke Duncan’s family and friends are in stitches over this hilarious story. It was nice that Tom Hanks could honor his friend’s life by making Duncan’s loved ones smile.