Bernie Mac dies

[MalaCloudy Black]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/10...c080908.article

Comedian Bernie Mac died at Northwestern Memorial hospital early Saturday morning, according to Sun-Times Columnist, Stella Foster. He was 50.

Though the cause of death has not been confirmed, Mac had been hospitalized recently for pneumonia. Foster said that she received calls early Saturday morning from a close friend of the Mac family, confirming the reports of Mac's death.

The columnist also said she was deeply saddened to receive such a phone call just an hour after Mac was pronounced dead.

"It brought tears to my eyes because Bernie Mac has always been my all-time favorite entertainer and comedian. It pains me to have to report that," Foster said during a phone interview on Saturday morning.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the actor, whose real name is, Bernard McCullough, said that he had been responding well to treatment for the illness.

Publicist Danica Smith said Thursday in a statement that Mac's condition is ''stable.'' Smith first announced on August 1st that Mac was hospitalized in Chicago.

Smith has said the pneumonia isn't related to an inflammatory lung disease Mac also has. That condition has been in remission since 2005.

Foster noted that last weekend, several web sites reported wrongly that the comedian died.

Mac made waves last month with off-color jokes during a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The comedian starred in the critically acclaimed Fox television series ''The Bernie Mac Show.'' His film credits include roles in the ''Ocean's Eleven'' franchise.

Foster says she was remembers Bernie's comedic beginnings through his show, "Midnight Mac," which aired for four shows on HBO and was taped in Chicago in 1995.

"It was a variety entertainment show," she said, "He even had dancers called Macaroni's. That was my first exposure to how talented Bernie Mac was. And after that show, that's when Hollywood started beating down his door."

The actor's upcoming movies include "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer; and "Soul Men" with Samuel L. Jackson and Isaac Hayes.

There is no word on whether public services will be held.

Sucks. His standup and The Bernie Mac Show were good. What I find interesting (and quite weird) is that no other websites seem to have picked up on this news. At first I thought it was misinformation because the link to the original article didn't work, but lo and behold on Sun Times' frontpage - right there. My best guess is that other websites assumed what I did - broken link = retraction, which is admittedly a silly assumption, but hey..

[DMN in the House]

Wow and damn.

I saw on the news yesterday that he was 'stable'. Sucks. I was never a huge Bernie Mac fan, but he was talented.

[apsham]

Holy shit, I never saw this coming at all... weird.

[TGC]

Wasn't he working on a new pilot for a new TV Series? Or had that already been rjected?

I loved the old Bernie Mac show for the first couple of years, and his stand-up was great. Loved him in the Ocean's movies too. I for one will miss him.

[LexChaney]

Damn didn't see this coming, I loved him in Ocean movies myself. I had caught his show once or twice, he always managed to make me laugh.

[TheRaySays]

I'll miss him. He was always the only actor I could see reprising Jackie Gleason's Sheriff Buford T. Justice should they ever remake Smokey & The Bandit. He just did the "angry and exasperated" schtick so well.

[MyKILLv2.0]

This sucks. I've always loved Bernie Mac. His show on Fox was funny... nothing special, but funny none the less, and his stand ups were always very funny. For some reason, he was always someone who drew my interest in whatever project he was working on.

Edited August 9, 2008 by MikelSweeten

[noblefreakv2]

Hope he made his peace tieh the Lord. RIp Bernie.

[Docpepper]

One of my Favorite Stand Up comedians. his so on fox was funny as well along with several of his movies. RIP

[Hugar Twriker Eats Spam]

I just saw this on the news and I will just say that I am shock. Bernie Mac was always entertaining and it is sad to see him go.

[slain]

Wow. This was INCREDIBLY unexpected. A great actor and comedian. Just wow....

RIP.

[Slogger]

I watched him in Oceans 13 just yesterday and his Cameo in Die Hard 4 the day before that, Holy shit.

R.I.P. Bernie Mac