Sadly I have just learned that comedian Bernie Mac has died. He passed away this morning from complications brought on by pneumonia after having been admitted to a Chicago hospital due to the illness. He was 50 years old.
Bernie Mac was a successful comedian with a tell-it-like-it-is approach. Performing since he was a child, his comedy routine was featured in the 2000 documentary film The Original Kings of Comedy. Shortly after that Fox Television gave him his own sitcom, entitled The Bernie Mac Show. In the show Bernie played a guy who is suddenly giving custody of his sister’s three children while she is in rehab. The show stayed true to Bernie’s stand up act by having the character routinely break the fourth wall to personally tell the audience how he felt about the absurdity of a situation. The show was a huge success, earning a Peabody award in 2001 and nominations for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Mac.
In addition to television Bernie Mac appeared in a number of films. Audiences will most recognize him from his role in the 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, where he played a black jack dealer who helped with the elaborate heist. He would also appear in both of the film’s sequels. Some of his other roles were the no nonsense father in Guess Who, the new Bosley in Charlie’s Angel’s: Full Throttle, a flashy baseball player in Mr. 3000 and a sleazy car salesman in last summer’s Transformers.
Bernie Mac will be greatly missed. His passing has left a void in the comedic world that will take quite a while to be filled. Thankfully his success will still allow others to experience and enjoy his unique brand of comedy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment