Bernard Jeffrey McCullough is an American comedian and Actor. He’s popular for his stage name Bernie Mac. He was born on October 5, 1957. Born and raised in Chicago’s South Side, Mac gained popularity by doing stand up comedy. He starred, with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley in the movie The Original Kings of Comedy.
Mac after hosting for long the HBO show Midnight Mac, he starred in numerous films as side characters. His one of the most famous character were as Frank Catton in the 2001, remake of Ocean’s 11, and as the lead role of Mr. 3000. He was the star of his eponymous show, which surfaced from 2001 to 2006, he was a recipient of 2 Emmy Award, nomination for his outstanding lead Actor in a comedy series.
Mac’s other known roles such as: The Players Club, Head Of State, Bad Santa, Guess Who, Pride Soul Men. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second child of their parents, Mary McCullough and Jeffrey Harrison. He was raised by a single mother, and his grandparents on the City’s South Side, his mother was passed away due to Cancer when he was just 16 years old.
He began his high school career at Chicago vocational high school. His mother died in 1973, at that time Mac was 16 years old. After the passage of time, Mac’s elder brother and his estranged dad both died. Mac was completed his graduation from Chicago Vocational high school in year 1975.
While in his 20s and through his early 30s, he worked in a lots of jobs, such as, Janitor, Coach professional mover, Cook, Bus driver, Wonder Bread Delivery man, furniture mover, and UPS agent, while doing comedy on the weekends at clubs and parties. His influences was from The Three Stooges, and listening to stand-up comedians, Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. He started his career as a stand up comedian in Chicago’s Cotton Club.
Later, he received the Miller Lite Comedy Search when he was 32 years old his fame started growing. His act on HBO’S Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the fame, later Martin Lawrence was unable to calm an increasingly hostile crowd, Mac went on stage and said, K ain’t scared of you mothafuckas, “telling to the crowd that he didn’t come here for no stupidity.
He played a small role in 1994’s House Party 3, as Uncle Vester. His short lived talk show, on HBO which was titled as, Midnight Mac. Later, sometimes he also portrayed in minor roles, Mr. Johnson the no-nonsense owner of the grille and diner in the movie, B. A. P. S., and Pastor Clever, in Ice Cube’s 1995, Vehicle Friday. Following that portrayal, Mac was chosen to act the lead character in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz.
He began his starring roles as, “Dollar Bill”, a Silly Talking club owner in 1998s The Players Club. He, could break from the traditional “black Comedy” genre, having role in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven and becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie’S Angels sequel, Charlie’s Angels : Full Throttle.
Fox Network gave him, his own TV sitcom Called, The Bernie Mac Show in year 2001, playing a fictional version of himself. In that show, Mac becomes custodian of his sister’s 3 children, after his sister went to rehab. He broke the 4th wall to tell his instincts to his fans.
He was born in South Side, but he was a fan of Chicago White Sox, and would often sneak a reference to his favourite team in episodes, including enlisting former-white six pitcher Jon Garland to his how talk show, to make a guest cameo starring.
In 2005 season he also wore a Jacket and Cap, to show his support over that team and congratulate his hometown Chicago White Sox and their staff members on their not so far World Series Championship.
His show was not renewed after 2005-2006, the show last surfaced on April 14, 2006. Mac’s show has won the Emmy Award for outstanding writing, the Peabody Award for excellence un broadcasting, and the Humanities Prize for TV writing that influences human dignity. Mac’s portrayal on The Bernie Mac Show mentioned him on No. 47 in TV Guide’s list of the 50 Greatest TV Dads in history.
When his show was running, he had co-starring roles in Bad Santa and Head Of State, as well as starring characters in the Baseball based film Mr. 3000, and Guess Who? A remake of the film, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.
The 1st two of Mac’s posthumous films, Soul Men and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, we’re came 3 months later of his death and were dedicated to him. His 3 posthumous release movie was, Old Dogs, which was released after one year of his passing. On the day of his Death, in 2008, Bud Billiken Parade, was held in Chicago to dedicate to his memory.
On the day of his funeral his hometown’s local TV sitcom, WCIU-TV surfaced an exclusive TV special, A tribute to Bernie Mac, and had interviews with his ex colleagues including, Camille Winbush, Chris Rock, Joe Torry, Cameron Diaz, Don Cheadle and family members. Mac was married to his high school partner, Rhonda Gore on September 17, 1977, they also had a Daughter, Je’Niece, who was born in 1978.
He had a health issues, before he went public of his health issues. For the first time he occurred in the summer of 2004, when he was shooting both Ocean’s Twelve and Guess Who, at that time he also promoting his movie Mr. 3000. He was set to shoot the remainder of Season 4 of The Bernie Mac Show, in October of the exact year, but due to his health issue, contracting Pneumonia in both of his Lungs and battling from exhaustion, Fox halted production for 4 weeks so he could rest and recover properly.
