Bernie Mac
Comedian
BIO
Early Years
– Bernie Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised on Chicago’s South Side by his single mother, Mary.
– Mac attended the Chicago Vocational Career Academy.
– He later attended the Jesuit High School after moving to Tampa, Florida.
– In his twenties, Bernie Mac worked in a variety of jobs, including as a UPS agent and furniture mover.
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Early Years
- Bernie Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. He was raised on Chicago’s South Side by his single mother, Mary.
- Mac attended the Chicago Vocational Career Academy.
- He later attended the Jesuit High School after moving to Tampa, Florida.
- In his twenties, Bernie Mac worked in a variety of jobs, including as a UPS agent and furniture mover.
Career
Early Career
- Bernie Mac began his stand-up comedy career in Chicago’s Cotton Club.
- He started to become known, after winning the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32.
- Mac’s reputation solidified after telling a hostile audience, “I ain’t scared o’ you mothafuckas…didn’t come here for no foolishness.” This was during his appearance on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.
Characters, Events, and Venues
- Bernie Mac was the opening act for Natalie Cole, Redd Foxx, and Dionne Warwick.
- At one point, Mac was number 72 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standups of all time.
- 2002 and 2003 – he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bernie Mac Show.
- 2003 and 2004 – Mac was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for The Bernie Mac Show.
- 2002 – 2007 – He was nominated for/or won several other awards for The Bernie Mac Show. These included the NAACP Image Awards, the PRISM Award, the Satellite Award, and the Television Critics Association Award.
- 2005 – Bernie Mac won the Black Reel Awards for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy for 3000. [see below]
TV, Film, and Broadway
- 1994 – Bernie Mac broke into the movies with a small role in House Party 3. He went on to act in several more. [see below]
- Mac had a talk-show, Midnight Mac, on HBO. This didn’t last long.
- In his later years, he hosted Last Comic Standing. This was a reality television show.
- 2001 – Mac was given his own television sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show. He played a fictional version of himself. The series finale aired in 2006.
Bernie Mac’s Influences and Thoughts
- Bernie Mac was influenced by The Three Stooges, Redd Foxx, and Richard Pryor.
At the End and After
- Bernie Mac publicly disclosed in 2005 that he was suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease of unknown origin that causes inflammation of the tissue.
- Mac was admitted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in 2008. He died from cardiac arrest after a week of unsuccessful treatment. This was on August 9, 2008.
- He was survived by his wife Rhonda and daughter Je’Niece.
- On November 14, 2016, Steve Harvey read a proclamation from Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel on his show that November 14 is “Bernie Mac”
2017 – Rolling Stone named Bernie Mac number 41 out of 50 of the Best Stand-up Comics of All Time.
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Bernie Mac Movies and Television
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