[Ameroth]

Article from People:

Bernie Mac, who for the past 30 years made the public laugh with an over-sized comic persona in film, television and comedy clubs, has died of pneumonia, PEOPLE has confirmed. He was 50.

"[He] passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his rep, Danica Smith, told PEOPLE. "No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family's privacy continues to be respected."

On Aug 1, Mac was admitted to a hospital at Northwestern Memorial hospital with pneumonia said his rep, adding that he was expected to recover, despite widespread rumors about the seriousness of his condition.

Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, Mac began his career as a stand-up comedian in the small comedy clubs of his native town. As a founding member of the Kings of Comedy comedy tour – the success of which spawned Spike Lee's 2000 concert movie The Original Kings of Comedy (also starring Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer) – Mac was able to spotlight what would become his rapid-fire delivery. This effectively launched him into the big time.

The Bernie Mac Show, which ran from 2001 to 2006, often poked fun of Mac's own life and proved a favorite of both critics and audiences – receiving a prestigious Peabody Award, as well as honors from the Television Critics Association (for best individual achievement in comedy).

In addition, the program provided a popular platform for Mac to win consecutive NAACP Image Awards for outstanding actor in a comedy series, from 2003 to 2006.

Named top actor in a comedy series at the '06 ceremony, Mac clutched his trophy and reverted to his standup character, declaring: "America, I heard your prayers, and you wanted me here. The Mac Man cometh, and I'm bringing hell with me."

Movie Roles

He scored on the big screen, too. Among his appearances were those in the comedy Guess Who (as Ashton Kutcher's imposing, prospective father-in-law); the Ocean's 11 franchise; Bad Santa; Charlie's Angels; and Pride, costarring Terrence Howard.

This spring, Mac wrapped the upcoming film Soul Men, a comedy costarring Samuel L. Jackson about a former singing duo staging a comeback. He is also set to appear in Old Dogs with John Travolta, Robin Williams and Matt Dillon.

He also published a 2001 collection of comic riffs, I Ain't Scared of You and a 2006 memoir, Maybe You Never Cry Again.

In February 2005, Mac, then 47, revealed that for the previous two decades he had suffered from sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in organs such as the lungs or lymph nodes. "It has not altered or limited my lifestyle," he said at the time.

Since 1977, Mac was married to Rhonda McCullough, with whom he had a daughter, Je'Niece, born in 1978. A graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana (with a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters in mental health counseling), Je'Niece married in 2003 and also has a daughter, Jasmine. His family survives Mac.

Wanted to Enjoy Life

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on the Late Show that he intended to retire from standup comedy.

"It's going to be 30 years for me, and I'm going to call it," said Mac. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

The years of hard work, Mac says, caused him to "miss out on so much, you know, and you live in all these hotels – I was on the road 47 weeks out of the year." As the comedian told Letterman, "I want to enjoy my life a little bit." enjoy my life a little bit."

-http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20216986,00.html

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[Aksannyi]

That's all I have to say.

[Ameroth]

Originally Posted by Aksannyi

That's all I have to say.

Agreed.

[TheGrandMom]

50...

I just got done crying at a video I watched on YouTube and then I see this. The portent for the day is gloomy!

[Rain_Blade]

That's really sad. At first, I heard it as a rumor, but then it was confirmed that it was really true. Best wishes to his family and friends.

[Malacite]

So many famous people dieing lately...

[TheGrandMom]

Mal, its just that you're older now and notice it. When you were young and others died it wasn't worth noting. But yes, it certainly has been shocking.

[Feba]

Originally Posted by TheGrandMom

Mal, its just that you're older now and notice it. When you were young and others died it wasn't worth noting. But yes, it certainly has been shocking.

Personally, I think it's more because the internet makes it more likely that you find out about these things. Same reason as why many people think we're going to hell in a handbasket-- we aren't REALLY a bunch of fuckwit lunatics, we're just hearing a lot more about them. A great example of this effect is



Age is part of it, but it's more because of the fact that you tend not to remember the minor things in the past, compared to the larger ones. People die all the time. It's just that you remember more recent deaths than you do ones years ago, so unless there's a lot of death at once (in celebrity death terms, think The Day the Music Died) you're not nearly as likely to remember it.

[Malacite]

• Tim Russert
• George Carlin
• Tony Snow
• Bernie Mac

Just to name a few. Now suddenly I don't fancy Freeman's chances either. (Hell, the secret service arrested a guy the other day for conspiring to kill Obama and Bush)

[TheGrandMom]

I think its a combination of both Feba but thats a very good point. Sometimes I wonder though if being so "informed" is such a good thing. LOL

Mal, Mr. Freeman is doing great and has been released from the hospital. Now he just has to go deal with his wife of 24 years who filed for a divorce shortly before the accident.

[Dopples]

Originally Posted by Malacite

• Tim Russert
• George Carlin
• Tony Snow
• Bernie Mac

Just to name a few. Now suddenly I don't fancy Freeman's chances either. (Hell, the secret service arrested a guy the other day for conspiring to kill Obama and Bush)

Don't forget Heath Ledger

Man, why is it the good ones are dying. yet we have bimbos like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears ODing everyday on drugs and coming up smelling like roses. Dirty, crappy roses, but roses none the less.

[Feba]

Hey. After that video, nobody gets to talk bad about Paris Hilton for at least the next three weeks.

[TheGrandMom]

Originally Posted by Feba

Hey. After that video, nobody gets to talk bad about Paris Hilton for at least the next three weeks.

Video? I must have missed something. Since its something to do with Paris, I probably didn't miss much.

[Feba]

Originally Posted by TheGrandMom

Video?

First, watch

YouTube - McCain's Britney Spears Ad Against Obama

YouTube - McCain's Britney Spears Ad Against Obama

Then see Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad from Paris Hilton, Adam "Ghost Panther" McKay, and Chris Henchy

[Sabaron]

In general, I don't think it's wise to "Thank" Feba too much lest his head swell and burst, but that was a good one.

...and Bernie Mac was most definitely funny. Too bad.