Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bernard Jeffrey McCullough |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, sketch writer |
| Years active | 1977–2008 |
| Spouse | Rhonda McCullough (1977–2008) (his death) |
| Awards | Satellite Award for Best Actor - TV Series Musical or Comedy 2003 The Bernie Mac Show 2004 The Bernie Mac Show |
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough (October 5, 1957– August 9, 2008),[1] better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D.L. Hughley as The Original Kings of Comedy.
After briefly hosting the HBO show Midnight Mac, he appeared in several films in smaller roles. His most noted film role was as Frank Catton in the remake Ocean's Eleven and its two sequels. He also starred in several films, including Mr. 3000. He was the star of The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001-2006, earning him two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. His other films included starring roles in Friday, Bad Santa, Pride, and Soul Men which was one of his final two films.
He suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. Despite having the disease, his death on August 9, 2008, was caused by complications from Pneumonia
Biography
Early life
Mac was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised by a single mother, Mary who died of cancer when he was only 16.[2] He put on shows for neighborhood kids on Chicago's South Side and eventually he moved to Tampa, Florida.[3] During his 20s he worked in a variety of jobs, including furniture mover, and a UPS agent.[3]
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 got his big break as "Pastor Clever" in Ice Cube's 1995 film Friday. Following that role, Mac also worked in many other films and had some television appearances in titles 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 turned in an impressive performance in a supporting role as the villain "Gin Slagel, The Store Dick" in Bad Santa. He also starred in Guess Who?, a comedic remake of the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and made an appearance in the 2007 film Transformers as the car salesman "Bobby Bolivia."
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. The show won an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Writing’, and not only that but it won the Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting, and last but most certainly not least, the Humanitas Prize for television writing that promotes human dignity, and several other prestigious accolades. [4] His character on The Bernie Mac Show was ranked #47 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."[5]
In 2004, Mac had his first starring role as a retired baseball player in the film Mr. 3000. In the 2003 National League Championship Series, Mac sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs leading the Florida Marlins in the series 3-2 and in Game 6 by a 3-0 score. Instead of saying "root, root, root for the Cubbies" Mac said, "root, root, root for the champions!" The Cubs went on to lose the game and the series, with some fans claiming that Mac helped to jinx the Cubs. Mac later admitted that he had hated the North Side's Cubs his whole life, being a die-hard fan of the South Side's White Sox, and was seen during the White Sox' 2005 World Series victory at U.S. Cellular Field.
He was number 72 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. On March 19, 2007, Mac told David Letterman on the CBS Late Show that he would retire from his 30-year career after he finished 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. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."[6]
In 2008, 2 months before his passing, he is jokingly referenced in the song "Lookin Boy" where Yung Joc states "Jangle Leg!, Jangle Leg! Jangle Leg!, Bernie Mac Lookin' Boy!". He is making a reference to Mac's role in the 1999 film Life.
Personal life
Mac married for the first time to Rhonda McCullough in 1977. Together, They had one daughter, Je'Niece (born 1978), who attended Xavier University of Louisiana, where she received both her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling. She is divorced with one daughter, Jasmine.
Death
Mac died early in the morning on August 9, 2008 of complications due to pneumonia, his publicist said. Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years before, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.[1] His funeral was held on August 16th at the House of Hope church in Chicago. More than 7,000 people attended his funeral. Among mourners were Jeremy Suarez who played his nerdy nephew "Jordan" on The Bernie Mac Show, Chris Rock, Richard M. Daley, Samuel L. Jackson, the other cast members from his series and the remaining Kings of Comedy: D.L. Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer, and Steve Harvey. He is buried at Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood, Illinois.[7]
Just prior to his death, he had finished working on the film Soul Men with Isaac Hayes, who coincidentally died the next day. He was also working on the films Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Old Dogs; both films will pay tribute to him. The 2008 Bud Billiken Parade, held in Chicago on the day he died, was dedicated to his memory.[8]
Final Films
His final three films released after his death were Soul Men where he played "Floyd Henderson", a foul-mouthed former singer. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa he provided the voice of Alex's long-lost father, "Zuba" who is the alpha lion. Lastly, the upcoming Disney's Old Dogs he will portray "Jimmy Lunchbox", a children's entertainer. The character is rumored to be homosexual.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mo' Money | Club doorman | ||
| Who's the Man? | G-George | ||
| Above the Rim | Flip | ||
| House Party 3 | Uncle Vester | ||
| Friday | Pastor Clever | ||
| Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood | Officer Self Hatred | ||
| Get on the Bus | Jay | ||
| B*A*P*S | Mr. Johnson | ||
| Booty Call | Judge Peabody | ||
| How to Be a Player | Buster | ||
| The Players Club | Dollar Bill | ||
| Life | Jangle Leg | ||
| The Original Kings of Comedy | Himself | ||
| Ocean's Eleven | Frank Catton | ||
| What's the Worst That Could Happen? | Uncle Jack | ||
| The Bernie Mac Show | Bernie McCullough | Television (2001-2006) | |
| Bad Santa | Gin Slagel | ||
| Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle | Jimmy Bosley | ||
| Head of State | Mitch Gilliam | ||
| Mr. 3000 | Stan Ross | ||
| Ocean's Twelve | Frank Catton | ||
| Guess Who | Percy Jones | ||
| Ocean's Thirteen | Frank Catton | ||
| Pride | Elston | ||
| Transformers | Bobby Bolivia | ||
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Zuba | Released Posthumously | |
| Soul Men | Floyd | Released Posthumously | |
| Old Dogs | Jimmy Lunchbox | Released Posthumously |
Awards and 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 |
References
- ^ a b c "Actor and comedian Bernie Mac dies at age 50". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
- ^ Bernie Mac finds a home on screen - San Jose Mercury News
- ^ a b Savoy Magazine May 2002
- ^ http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/ Bernie Mac obituary
- ^ June 20, 2004 issue
- ^ Bernie Mac Plans to Retire From Standup
- ^ http://specialreport.com/bernie-mac-funeral-pictures/
- ^ Le Mignot, Suzanne (August 9, 2008). "Actor And Comedian Bernie Mac Dies At Age 50". CBS2Chicago. Retrieved 2008-08-10.