Bernie Mac was a standup comedian and actor upon film and television known for ‘The Bernie Mac Show.’
Who Was Bernie Mac?
Bernie Mac’s first standup routine was at the age of 8 for his church congregation. He traditional a variety performance at Chicago’s Regal Theatre, made appearances vis–vis HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” and allied the cast of “Ocean’s Eleven.” On August 9, 2008, Mac died of pneumonia.
Early Life
Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough upon October 5, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. Growing taking place in a large intimates upon Chicago’s South Side, his grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.
Mac performed his first standup routine at the age of eight, impersonating his grandparents at the dinner table for the church congregation.
After losing his mother to cancer (his brother, daddy and grandmother died not long after), Mac realized the healing finishing of laughter. He began telling jokes for spare bend in the Chicago subway. While involved various weird jobs, he eventually conventional his own weekly variety exploit in at Chicago’s Regal Theatre and allied the comedy club circuit in 1977.
Acting Debut
Mac’s acting career started considering a role as a club doorman in the comedy Mo’ Money (1992) and moreover appeared as Pastor Clever in Friday (1995). Mac’s frequent appearances upon HBO’s Def Comedy Jam in the yet to be 1990s furthermore helped put him upon the map.
Mac’s edgy comedy seemed an unlikely fit for television, but after frequent appearances upon the series Moesha and gaining broad applause for his starring role in Spike Lee’s The Original Kings of Comedy in 2000, Mac was primed to make a sitcom upon his own terms.
Career Highlights
Besides his work in film and television Mac also authored two books, 2001’s I Ain’t Scared of You: Bernie Mac on How Life Is and his 2003 memoir, Maybe You Never Cry Again. The latter described Mac’s impoverished childhood, strict upbringing and his mother’s belief in him..
Mac’s film career next took off. In 2001, he similar an all-star cast in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven, playing a mild action-artiste who assisted co-stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt in high-profile heists.
In 2001, he in addition to co-starred considering Chris Rock in Head of State, also replaced Bill Murray’s Bosley in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and shared billing with than John Ritter in director Billy Bob Thornton’s Bad Santa (2003).
In 2004, he took concerning his first starring role as an aging baseball hero in Mr. 3000 and later starred subsequently anew in the race family comedy Guess Who? (2005). Mac moreover reunited back the cast for the sequels Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007).
Personal Life
Besides his be in in film and television Mac plus authored two books, 2001’s I Ain’t Scared of You: Bernie Mac upon How Life Is and his 2003 memoir, Maybe You Never Cry Again. The latter described Mac’s impoverished childhood, strict upbringing and his mother’s belief in him.
In 1977 at age 19, Mac married his high scholarly sweetheart, Rhonda, whom he credits in addition to much of his completion, particularly as the teenager person couple struggled through the into the future years of Mac’s fledgling career. They had a daughter, Je’Niece, and a granddaughter.
Death
On August 9, 2008, Mac died of pneumonia. More than 6,000 people attended a memorial encouragement for Mac at the House of Hope Church upon Chicago’s South Side.