LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bernie Mac
built 633 days ago
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.
Source:
Bernie Mac was a founding member of the "Kings of Comedy" stand-up troupe. His humor is famous for a rapid-fire delivery and gritty content. The latter shows up too often in his new Fox sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show. Playing a fictionalized version of himself, Mac raises his sister’s children while she is sidelined in a drug rehab center. He and his wife, Wanda (Kellita Smith), both have blossoming careers, but since hers is at AT&T and his is more relaxed, he’s stuck at home playing dad. And he’s not happy about it.
Source:
Stand-up comic and actor Bernie Mac exploded onto the screen with “The Original Kings of Comedy†(2001) after years of working comedy stages in his native Chicago. His edgy and largely autobiographical material about his background and African-American culture fell in step with a new wave of high-profile black comedians like fellow “Kings,†D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey. And like his “Comedy Kings†co-stars, his hilariously frank material led to Mac’s own successful sitcom, “The Bernie Mac Show†(Fox, 2001-06). An increasing presence on the big screen as well, Mac’s sometimes gruff but always memorable character roles began to give way to more challenging dramatic work. With the feature film, “Pride†(2007), it was clear Mac as artist had the depth and humanity to bring to the table, and was intent on raising the bar of what audiences and critics had come to expect from run-of-the-mill stand-ups-turned-actors.
Source:
A&E TV-ography "Bernie Mac: TV’s Family Man" – This excellent show provides a 45 minute biography on Bernie Mac. It tells about his early childhood being raised by his strict grandmother. It then movies on to tell about his marriage at a young age and his early days as a foul mouthed shock comic. The show then talks about his early comedy tours and the beginning of his movie roles. They discuss his roles in Ocean's 11, Charlie's Angels, and more. It then ends by discussing his TV show. While the series isn't based on his real life, it is definitely inspired by it. For example, this biography reveals that Bernie didn't take in his sister's three kids, but he did take in his troubled young niece and her daughter.
Source:
With apologies to James Brown, Bernie Mac may very well be "hardest working man in show business." The star of the irreverent Fox series The Bernie Mac Show, he continues to perform his raucous nightclub act and has appeared in films like Ocean's Eleven and Charlie's Angels. From his troubled childhood to the domestic crisis that helped propel him to comic stardom, BIOGRAPHY® goes behind the scenes with one of today's most successful entertainers, revealing details of his personal struggles and professional triumphs.
Source:
Bernie Mac’s health may be down, but he’s not out. His recent battle with pneumonia put him in the hospital and flat on his back for weeks. Playboy Contributing Editor David Rensin caught up with Mac, and his oxygen tank, to discuss his sickness, hanging with his Ocean’s Twelve co-stars, golf and his gun collection.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Bernie Mac