Remembering Bernie Mac
Comedy was his Craft, Humour his Tools, and Laughter his Ammunition
Bernie Mac knew he wanted to make people laugh from an early age and used to put on impromptu shows on L-train platforms and local parks. In 1977 he took his act to the stage and thus began the career of Bernie Mac.
When not on the L, the stage or the park Mac would be at the recreation centre engaging in sports, and credited his drive and ambition to succeed to his coaches. The most inspirational person in his life was his mother who passed away when he was sixteen years old of cancer.
Bernie Mac remains a Comedic Legend
It wasn’t until 1990 that Mac began to see the rewards of all his hard work and seemingly endless nights away from his new wife. Winning the Miller Lite Comedy Search opened a number of doors for Mac and he made his feature debut in Mo Money (1992 - starring Damon and Marlon Wayans) as a club doorman. That wasn’t the end as Mac appeared in House Party 3 as the militant Uncle Vester, and went on to create the Who Ya Wit Tour featuring the five Mac-A-Roni Dancers. Bernie Mac’s blend of storytelling and comic expression coupled with his magnetic stage presence earned him the go ahead to put forward his own show Midnight Mac (1995) but the HBO network tried to tame down Mac’s material. After a month the show was cancelled.
Mac hadn’t firmly established himself as a household name until he appeared on the Original Kings of Comedy tour (directed by Spike Lee - 2000) and following this Bernie Mac and his style of comedy was firmly cemented to audiences outside of the Def Comedy Jam spectrum created by Russell Simmons. Mac’s celebrity was growing exponentially and already he had several parts in as many movies under his belt. Between 2001 – 2006 Mac truly shined, headlining his self titled sitcom The Bernie Mac Show earning Emmy’s in 2002 – 2003 and Golden Globes 2003 – 2004, as well as a nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy. The concept for the sitcom was born out of Mac’s earlier stories and quips during his stage act about having to take care of his sisters "Bad Ass Kids" as he put it. The show was a hit and aired between Mac appearing in, Charlies Angels (2000), Mr 3000 (2004), Head of State (2003) and Stephen Soderbergh’s remake of the 1960 heist movie, Ocean’s Eleven.
Mac announced his retirement from stand up comedy in 2007 but said he would continue to star in and produce movies, a statement he upheld with reportedly four projects currently in post production irrespective of his death.
Transcending Death, still Joking, still Laughing
Bernie Mac’s legacy as the in-your-face comedian who merely tells the truth will live on long after the sun has set on all his projects in post production.
Bernie could make audiences laugh before he even spoke because everyone knew whatever he said however he said it, would have elements of humour to it. Yes he could be serious but he will be remembered in part for his comment about being Barak Obama’s Vice President: “They’d never let me be Vice President, I cuss too much!”
If anyone watched enough footage of Bernie they'd totally understand the sentiment.
Bernie Mac will live on regardless of his sudden departure and continue to inspire up and coming comedians, and remain a bench mark for anyone aspiring to produce great comedy.
Bernie Mac
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