Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac | |
|---|---|
 Bernie Mac at the premiere of Ocean's Thirteen, 2007 | |
| Born | Bernard Jeffrey McCullough |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, sketch writer |
| Years active | 1979 - present |
| Spouse(s) | Rhonda McCullough, 1977 - present |
| Awards | Satellite Award for Best Actor - TV Series Musical or Comedy 2003 The Bernie Mac Show 2004 The Bernie Mac Show |
Bernie Mac (born Bernard Jeffery McCullough; October 5, 1957)[1] is a two time Emmy Award-nominated American actor and comedian.
Biography
Early life
Mac was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised by a single mother, Mary, who died of cancer when Mac was sixteen.[2] Mac attended Chicago Vocational Career Academy. The start of Mac's career was during high school, when he would put on shows for neighborhood kids in Chicago's south side until moving to Tampa. During his 20s he worked in a variety of jobs; he was a furniture mover, UPS agent and a bread delivery sales rep. Mac has claimed that he was whipped with a belt by both his mother and grandmother during his childhood.
Career
Mac started as a stand-up comedian in Chicago's Cotton Pickin' Club. He won the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32, at which point his popularity as a comedian began to grow. A performance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the spotlight. He opened for Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He also had a short-lived talk show on HBO titled Midnight Mac. Later, Mac also began acting in minor roles, and received his big break as Pastor Clever in Ice Cube's 1995 film Friday. Following that role, Mac would also work in many other movies, and some television appearances, including Booty Call, How to Be a Player, Life and What's the Worst That Could Happen?. Mac was one of the few African American comedic actors to be able to break out of the traditional "black comedy" genre, having roles in the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven and becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie's Angels sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. In 2003, he also turned in an impressive performance in a small but important role as Gin "The Store Dick" in Bad Santa. He also starred in Guess Who?, a comedic remake of the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. He also made an appearance in the 2007 movie Transformers as Bobby Bolivia
In 2000, Mac continued with his stand-up comedy roots, touring the country as one of "The Kings of Comedy", along with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley. The comedy act was filmed by Spike Lee and was included later in the movie The Original Kings of Comedy.
In 2001, Fox gave Mac his own sitcom called The Bernie Mac Show, somewhat based on his own life. In the show, he suddenly becomes custodian over his sister's three children after she enters rehab. It was a success in part because it allows Mac to stay true to his stand-up comedy roots, breaking the fourth wall to communicate his thoughts to the audience. The show contained many parodies of events in Bernie's actual life. However, the show was not renewed after the 2006 season. Viewers were left without a conclusion for the series, and no ending to the storyline where Bernie and Wanda were trying to have a baby. His character on The Bernie Mac Show was ranked #47 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].
In 2004, Mac had his first starring role as a retired baseball player in the movie Mr. 3000. In the 2003 NLCS, Mac sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Wrigley Field with the Cubs leading the Florida Marlins in the series 3-2 and up in Game Six 3-0. Instead of saying "root, root, root for the Cubbies" Mac said, "root, root, root for the champions!" The Cubs would go on to lose the game and the series, with some fans claiming that Mac helped to jinx the Cubs. Mac later admitted that he has hated the Cubs his whole life, is a die-hard White Sox fan, and was seen during the 2005 World Series at US Cellular Field.
Mac is number 72 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. On March 19, 2007 Mac told David Letterman on CBS Late Show that he will retire from his 30-year career after he finishes shooting the comedy film The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. "I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know".[3]
Personal life
Mac has been married to Rhonda McCullough since 1977. They have one daughter, Je'Niece (born 1978), who attended Xavier University of Louisiana where she received both her bachelors degree in Psychology and Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. She has been married for three years and has one daughter, Jasmine, making Bernie Mac a grandfather. Mac has suffered from sarcoidosis, a tissue inflammation disease, since 1983. He has said that it has no effect on his daily life. Bernie Mac was hospitalized with pneumonia on August 1, 2008. Soon after, rumors of his demise had circulated, but were denied by his publicist. On August 2, 2008, a source close to the family said that Mac was in "very, very critical" condition.[4]
Filmography
- Old Dogs (2009)
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) - Zuba (voice)
- Soul Men (2008)
- Transformers (2007)
- Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
- Pride (2007)
- Guess Who (2005)
- Ocean's Twelve (2004)
- Mr. 3000 (2004)
- Bad Santa (2003)
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
- Head of State (2003)
- Ocean's Eleven (2001)
- What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)
- Life (1999)
- The Players Club (1998)
- How to Be a Player (1997)
- B*A*P*S' (1997)
- Get on the Bus (1996)
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
- Friday (1995)
- House Party 3 (1994)
- Above the Rim (1994)
- Who's the Man? (1993)
Awards/nominations
| Emmy Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Category | Show | Result |
| 2003 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |
| 2002 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | |||
| Year | Category | Show | Result |
| 2004 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy/Musical Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |
| 2003 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy/Musical Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | |||
| Year | Category | Show | Result |
| 2007 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |
| 2006 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Winner |
| 2005 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Winner |
| 2004 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Winner |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Head of State | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Winner |
| 2001 | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | "The Bernie Mac Show" | Nominated |