Bernie Mac (1957-2008) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 08-09-2008, 09:38 AM

Link

Comedian and Chicago native Bernie Mac died early Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia, his publicist confirmed.

Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years ago, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.

The comic born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough could cut an imposing figure. He stood six-foot-three, was built like a fullback and carried himself with a bouncer's reticence. But perhaps the strongest weapon in the Chicago comedian's arsenal was that voice, that amalgam of thought and a delivery that could rise like a tidal wave, outpace a Gatling gun and remained, to his last days, loud and unapologetic.

He wasn't scared, he told us time and again, to tell anyone what he thought, to say what others were afraid to say. That fearlessness wasn't always welcome, considering Mac didn't get his big break until his 30s. But when he did, the comic skyrocketed to success in stand-up, television and the big screen.

Bernie Mac Mac shared screen time with some of Hollywood's larger-than-life leading men, co-starring with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon in the "Oceans 11" remake and subsequent sequels.

Most recently, Mac garnered attention for making unsavory comments at a Barack Obama benefit that the presumptive Democratic candidate had to distance himself from.

Growing up on the South Side a hard-core White Sox fan, Mac discovered early on that he wanted to make a go at being a comedian. Before his 10th birthday, Mac was performing comedy standup, honing his skills on CTA trains and parks before graduating to well-known haunts like the Regal Theater and the Cotton Club. He came to a realization during those first years as a struggling comic: If he could kill in front of a black crowd, he could kill in any crowd.

"Black audiences are hard," he told the New York Times in 2002. "You got to come with a little extra to satisfy them."

He also learned that comedy isn't a lucrative business when you starting out. During those lean years in the 80s, Mac drove a Wonder Bread delivery truck to pay the bills.

Life changed dramatically for Mac when he was 32. He won the Miller Lite comedy search that year and that performance took him to the standup stage, which ultimately led to regular performances on popular shows like HBO's "Def Comedy Jam."

In a few short years, he was able to put a stamp on this tell-it-like-it-is brand of comedy that audiences had come to know him for. He was a hit on the stage, delivering sordid tales of his early life growing up on Chicago's South Side. Would be great to get a couple examples here

His work hit home to the African American audience -- his aggressive, brash comedy had a down home feel to it, tackling everything from family life to black romantic relationships -- yet Mac was able to cross it over, connecting with a majority entertainment scene.

"When I started in comedy in the clubs in 1977, blacks couldn't do certain clubs -- not because they were segregated. They just didn't want to put the [black comics] out there. In Los Angeles, the clubs would have a black night. People would say, 'Why don't you come by and do something?' I would say, 'I'm a comedian -- don't put a title on me.' Don't limit yourself. How you start is how you finish," he told the Tribune in 2007. "If you let people put tags on you, you'll never be able to remove them. You've got to make people respect you. Respect is bigger than dollars and cents."

Mac got his respect and he gained national attention after his set on HBO's popular late-night series Def Comedy Jam in 1992. Decked out in a pair of jeans with his face illustrated, graffiti-style, on the right pants leg, Mac expounded on one taboo subject after another, from the benefits of snitching to his prowess in the bedroom.

"I ain't scared of you [expletive]!" became his signature tagline.

Many took note of the blue comic's performance, which later led to a bit part in 1992's "Mo' Money," and later an HBO Special, "Midnight Mac."

In 1995, Mac earned a spot in the cult-classic "Friday," and the film helped Mac break out. His portrayal of Pastor Clever was one of the film's highlights, however small it was. He followed it up with bit roles in other films, including "Booty Call," and "Def Jam's: How to Be a Player."

But he wanted more.

Mac sowed the seeds for his success on a cloudy day in North Carolina while taping the 2000 Spike Lee concert film, "The Original Kings of Comedy." There, on a rain-soaked basketball court, buttressed by co-stars Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey, Mac issued a challenge to Hollywood:

"Do I have a television show? Nah," Mac told the cameras. "Why? 'Cause you scared of me, Scared I'm a say something. You [expletive] right. Think I won't say something?!"

A year later, Mac got his chance. "The Bernie Mac Show" debuted on Fox in November 2001, drawing critical acclaim, numerous awards, including two Emmy nominations for Mac and, most important, high ratings. Its premiere episode drew 11.4 million viewers. The second episode, which immediately followed the first, drew 12.4 million.

For the next four years, Mac spoke to the America public--via a break in the fourth wall a la Dobie Gillis--with all the befuddlement of a 40-something taskmaster father lost in a sea of talk therapy and "Time Outs." "Now, America," Mac would often begin before going into a rant about undisciplined children, cuddling parents or, one of his favorite topics, the differences between black and white people.

But in 2005, the show went off the air. Several reasons contributed to cancellation: The show's ratings had dropped, Mac was getting more lucrative offers from the movie studios. Before the 2000 concert film, Mac's biggest credit was a recurring role on "Moesha."

But Mac's health was also a factor. In 2004, he halted production on the show while recovering from exhaustion. A year later, he disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.

In spite of that, his star has risen a great deal. In addition to the highly popular "Oceans" films, he co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in a reverse remake of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 2005.

Last spring, Mac said that he was hanging up his standup career, and instead focus more on movies. In 2007, he co-starred in "Ocean's Thirteen," "Pride" and had a role in the blockbuster "Transformers."

Scheduled for release later this year is "Soul Men," with Samuel L. Jackson and was cast in "Old Dogs," with Robin Williams, which is due next year.

Mac is survived by his wife Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, a son-in-law and a granddaughter, Jasmine.

80sTrivia · 08-09-2008, 09:40 AM

I was just about to post the following, Zoneboy:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...,1521239.story

clj2 · 08-09-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

CHICAGO (AP) — A publicist says Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian Bernie Mack has died at age 50.
Publicist Danica Smith says Bernie Mac died early Saturday at a hospital in the Chicago area of complications due to pneumonia.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but he had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently had been hospitalized and treated for pneumonia.
Mac had starring roles in "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."
The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

AP Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...HcIXgD92EPOH80

RIP.

ThomasE · 08-09-2008, 09:55 AM

I was about to post this as well. I cannot believe this has happened. One minute, I am watching the olympice on USA, the next minute, I am on MSM and getting this message. WOW! It is amazing what you could be doing one minute and all of the sudden, things change up on you. I have to get over this terrible news.

EighteenMinutes · 08-09-2008, 10:19 AM

Yeah...just read about this. Sad news.

Brian Damage · 08-09-2008, 10:26 AM

So young, so tragic...

Mr. Television · 08-09-2008, 10:30 AM

OMG. I used to be a big fan of the BMS. This is so sad. I'm just stunned. R.I.P. Bernie,

Zoneboy · 08-09-2008, 10:36 AM

This was just a total and unexpected shock, I thought he was getting better and was scheduled to be released from the hospital soon.

Bernie

jentrent · 08-09-2008, 10:45 AM

My family and I loved the Bernie Mac show, and are broken hearted to hear of his passing. Bernie could make you laugh even when you didn't want to. My family lives in ATL and being a typical white family in Ga, his style of comic wouldn't always appeal, but to be honest I thought he bridged the gap between the races. He was all Bernie, nothing to hide and you gotta love a man for that. We will miss him very much.
Love from ATL,
The Trents

JT · 08-09-2008, 10:46 AM

...Wow. One of the most shocking celebrity deaths of the year...or ever, really.

RIP!

DVDFreaker · 08-09-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JT

...Wow. One of the most shocking celebrity deaths of the year...or ever, really.

RIP!

Heath Ledger and Bernie Mac are both one of the most shocking celebrity deaths of the year, I'm shocked, Bernie will be missed and 50 years old is too young to die and he looked very good at age 50

coffield3 · 08-09-2008, 11:13 AM

So young R.I.P

PrettyinPink55 · 08-09-2008, 11:14 AM

I logged onto AOL this morning, and this is the first thing I saw.

I am so sad to hear this. He was so young too!!

R.I.P Mr. Bernie Mac!!!! You will be missed!!!

Why does it seem like we've been losing so many of the greats lately??

sweetdiggity · 08-09-2008, 11:15 AM

This is terrible news.

I always liked him. May he RIP.

DVDFreaker · 08-09-2008, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrettyinPink55

I logged onto AOL this morning, and this is the first thing I saw.

I am so sad to hear this. He was so young too!!

R.I.P Mr. Bernie Mac!!!! You will be missed!!!

Why does it seem like we've been losing so many of the greats lately??

I have no idea

This is one of the shocking celebrity deaths besides John Ritter and Heath Ledger

08-09-2008, 09:38 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,346	Bernie Mac (1957-2008) Link Comedian and Chicago native Bernie Mac died early Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia, his publicist confirmed. Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years ago, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs. The comic born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough could cut an imposing figure. He stood six-foot-three, was built like a fullback and carried himself with a bouncer's reticence. But perhaps the strongest weapon in the Chicago comedian's arsenal was that voice, that amalgam of thought and a delivery that could rise like a tidal wave, outpace a Gatling gun and remained, to his last days, loud and unapologetic. He wasn't scared, he told us time and again, to tell anyone what he thought, to say what others were afraid to say. That fearlessness wasn't always welcome, considering Mac didn't get his big break until his 30s. But when he did, the comic skyrocketed to success in stand-up, television and the big screen. Bernie Mac Mac shared screen time with some of Hollywood's larger-than-life leading men, co-starring with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon in the "Oceans 11" remake and subsequent sequels. Most recently, Mac garnered attention for making unsavory comments at a Barack Obama benefit that the presumptive Democratic candidate had to distance himself from. Growing up on the South Side a hard-core White Sox fan, Mac discovered early on that he wanted to make a go at being a comedian. Before his 10th birthday, Mac was performing comedy standup, honing his skills on CTA trains and parks before graduating to well-known haunts like the Regal Theater and the Cotton Club. He came to a realization during those first years as a struggling comic: If he could kill in front of a black crowd, he could kill in any crowd. "Black audiences are hard," he told the New York Times in 2002. "You got to come with a little extra to satisfy them." He also learned that comedy isn't a lucrative business when you starting out. During those lean years in the 80s, Mac drove a Wonder Bread delivery truck to pay the bills. Life changed dramatically for Mac when he was 32. He won the Miller Lite comedy search that year and that performance took him to the standup stage, which ultimately led to regular performances on popular shows like HBO's "Def Comedy Jam." In a few short years, he was able to put a stamp on this tell-it-like-it-is brand of comedy that audiences had come to know him for. He was a hit on the stage, delivering sordid tales of his early life growing up on Chicago's South Side. Would be great to get a couple examples here His work hit home to the African American audience -- his aggressive, brash comedy had a down home feel to it, tackling everything from family life to black romantic relationships -- yet Mac was able to cross it over, connecting with a majority entertainment scene. "When I started in comedy in the clubs in 1977, blacks couldn't do certain clubs -- not because they were segregated. They just didn't want to put the [black comics] out there. In Los Angeles, the clubs would have a black night. People would say, 'Why don't you come by and do something?' I would say, 'I'm a comedian -- don't put a title on me.' Don't limit yourself. How you start is how you finish," he told the Tribune in 2007. "If you let people put tags on you, you'll never be able to remove them. You've got to make people respect you. Respect is bigger than dollars and cents." Mac got his respect and he gained national attention after his set on HBO's popular late-night series Def Comedy Jam in 1992. Decked out in a pair of jeans with his face illustrated, graffiti-style, on the right pants leg, Mac expounded on one taboo subject after another, from the benefits of snitching to his prowess in the bedroom. "I ain't scared of you [expletive]!" became his signature tagline. Many took note of the blue comic's performance, which later led to a bit part in 1992's "Mo' Money," and later an HBO Special, "Midnight Mac." In 1995, Mac earned a spot in the cult-classic "Friday," and the film helped Mac break out. His portrayal of Pastor Clever was one of the film's highlights, however small it was. He followed it up with bit roles in other films, including "Booty Call," and "Def Jam's: How to Be a Player." But he wanted more. Mac sowed the seeds for his success on a cloudy day in North Carolina while taping the 2000 Spike Lee concert film, "The Original Kings of Comedy." There, on a rain-soaked basketball court, buttressed by co-stars Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey, Mac issued a challenge to Hollywood: "Do I have a television show? Nah," Mac told the cameras. "Why? 'Cause you scared of me, Scared I'm a say something. You [expletive] right. Think I won't say something?!" A year later, Mac got his chance. "The Bernie Mac Show" debuted on Fox in November 2001, drawing critical acclaim, numerous awards, including two Emmy nominations for Mac and, most important, high ratings. Its premiere episode drew 11.4 million viewers. The second episode, which immediately followed the first, drew 12.4 million. For the next four years, Mac spoke to the America public--via a break in the fourth wall a la Dobie Gillis--with all the befuddlement of a 40-something taskmaster father lost in a sea of talk therapy and "Time Outs." "Now, America," Mac would often begin before going into a rant about undisciplined children, cuddling parents or, one of his favorite topics, the differences between black and white people. But in 2005, the show went off the air. Several reasons contributed to cancellation: The show's ratings had dropped, Mac was getting more lucrative offers from the movie studios. Before the 2000 concert film, Mac's biggest credit was a recurring role on "Moesha." But Mac's health was also a factor. In 2004, he halted production on the show while recovering from exhaustion. A year later, he disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs. In spite of that, his star has risen a great deal. In addition to the highly popular "Oceans" films, he co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in a reverse remake of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 2005. Last spring, Mac said that he was hanging up his standup career, and instead focus more on movies. In 2007, he co-starred in "Ocean's Thirteen," "Pride" and had a role in the blockbuster "Transformers." Scheduled for release later this year is "Soul Men," with Samuel L. Jackson and was cast in "Old Dogs," with Robin Williams, which is due next year. Mac is survived by his wife Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, a son-in-law and a granddaughter, Jasmine.
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08-09-2008, 09:40 AM	#2
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	I was just about to post the following, Zoneboy: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...,1521239.story
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08-09-2008, 09:55 AM	#4
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	I was about to post this as well. I cannot believe this has happened. One minute, I am watching the olympice on USA, the next minute, I am on MSM and getting this message. WOW! It is amazing what you could be doing one minute and all of the sudden, things change up on you. I have to get over this terrible news.
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08-09-2008, 10:19 AM	#5
EighteenMinutes It's comin' around. Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 30, 2006 Location: Middle-America Posts: 384	Yeah...just read about this. Sad news.
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08-09-2008, 10:26 AM	#6
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	So young, so tragic...
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08-09-2008, 10:30 AM	#7
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	OMG. I used to be a big fan of the BMS. This is so sad. I'm just stunned. R.I.P. Bernie,
	__________________ Sonny

08-09-2008, 10:36 AM	#8
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,346	This was just a total and unexpected shock, I thought he was getting better and was scheduled to be released from the hospital soon. Bernie

08-09-2008, 10:45 AM	#9
jentrent Member First Time Poster Join Date: Aug 09, 2008 Location: ATL Posts: 1	My family and I loved the Bernie Mac show, and are broken hearted to hear of his passing. Bernie could make you laugh even when you didn't want to. My family lives in ATL and being a typical white family in Ga, his style of comic wouldn't always appeal, but to be honest I thought he bridged the gap between the races. He was all Bernie, nothing to hide and you gotta love a man for that. We will miss him very much. Love from ATL, The Trents

08-09-2008, 10:46 AM	#10
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	...Wow. One of the most shocking celebrity deaths of the year...or ever, really. RIP!
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08-09-2008, 11:13 AM	#12
coffield3 <3 Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 23, 2006 Location: England Posts: 7,379	So young R.I.P
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08-09-2008, 11:14 AM	#13
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	I logged onto AOL this morning, and this is the first thing I saw. I am so sad to hear this. He was so young too!! R.I.P Mr. Bernie Mac!!!! You will be missed!!! Why does it seem like we've been losing so many of the greats lately??
	__________________ ♥♥♥

08-09-2008, 11:15 AM	#14
sweetdiggity King of comedy!!! Senior Member Join Date: Oct 08, 2005 Location: L.R.G. Headquarters Posts: 2,258	This is terrible news. I always liked him. May he RIP.
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