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16 years ago to this date (August 9), we lost an all-time great.
Bernie Mac passed away from complications of pneumonia at the age of 50. The legendary comedian and actor was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side. After being influenced by the likes of
Richard Pryor and
Redd Foxx (who he would later open for), Mac started as a stand-up comedian in Chicago’s famous Cotton Club. At the age of 32, he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search, which caused his popularity to grow. His performance on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam is what finally put him into the true spotlight.
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Before his first starring role, Mac played minor roles in a host of movies which include
House Party 3, B.A.P.S. and
Friday. It wasn’t until 1998’s
The Players Club when he got his first starring role. He then went on the Kings of Comedy Tour with
Steve Harvey,
Cedric the Entertainer and
D.L. Hughley. After the success of the tour, the Fox networked gave him his own television sitcom named after him. The show was on air for five seasons from November 14, 2001 through April 14, 2006 and received generally positive reviews. Mac continued to make waves by starring in a wide range of films which included:
Head of State, Mr. 3000, Bad Santa, Guess Who and
Pride. His last three films (
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Soul Men, Old Dogs) were released after his death and were all dedicated to him. Although it was only a short period of time that Bernie was a huge Hollywood star, he made the absolute most out of it.
Bernie Mac was your favorite comedian’s favorite comedian. He is lauded for his edgy and unfiltered “tell it like it is” style of comedy. Another reason that he will forever be loved is because of the fact that he never watered down his comedy just to become mainstream. Mac took the road less traveled. Even though it took him longer than most comedians to make it to the top, he never wavered. He did everything that needed to be done for him to finally get there including working jobs ranging from janitor to cook to a moving man, all while pursuing his comedy stardom. He is a huge inspiration and influence to so many funny men who have come behind it. To celebrate the Mac Man, enjoy a gallery of some of our favorite funny moments from his amazing career.
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