Bernie Mac was born Bernard Jeffery McCullough in Chicago, IL, on October 5, 1958. Becoming a professional comedian when he was 19, Mac performed in area clubs under his original name. He had small roles in a few movies, when, in 1995, he won a part in Chris Tucker's comedy Friday, and got his own HBO special called, Midnight Mac. From there he moved on to a role in Spike Lee's movie, Get On The Bus, and was offered a recurring role in the TV series Moesha. In 2000, he was one of four comedians to do a comedy tour called The Original Kings of Comedy. Mac began to win more substantial parts, including one in the remake of Ocean's 11. He is the star of the successful television comedy, The Bernie Mac Show.