[VipInoLo]

Chicago Sun-Times

Actor, comedian Bernie Mac, dies at 50

August 9, 2008



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.

[Avgustslim]

That must have been a horrible case of pneumonia.

His root illness - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoidosis

[Kk21pwa9]

Bernie Mac was fierce. Condolences to his family & friends ...

Sometimes a hospital can be the absolute worst place for a patient to be, as is laid out in this Medical Dispatch article from the current New Yorker regarding drug resistant bacteria and their prevalence within hospitals:

Superbugs -
The new generation of resistant infections
is almost impossible to treat.

[ClaudeMarkus]

oh my God. Just terrible. He was one of the GREATEST comedians of our time. I loved his show, too. Just sad to hear about this. May he R.I.P.

[NADALA]

He was quite the popular man in Chicago. Stories abound of his riding the mass transit in this city years ago in his youth, and spontaneously erupting with his brand of humour still forming, while passing the hat.

His television show was innovative in its presentation, yet his standup was more of a throwback rather than cutting edge. I must confess that I did not always understand his routine, but I did understand his joy in performing his craft to a level that compelled you to join in on the laughter.

Nationally, I know he will be missed in a year that has often seemed lacking in humour of any kind to relieve us even tempoirarily of our miseries.

[flueftArete]

The Ledger fans will give Bernie a moment of respect, before going on with their Crusade to make Ledger the greatest actor of our time.

If you dont believe me, go to the IMDB message board for Ledger to see the "outpouring of emotion" by his "fans" (read - shills) months after the drug crushing and snorting incident that caused his death, maintaining that he was holier than the whitest angels of the top tier in Heaven.

RIP Bernie. Honestly, I always had more time for your originality and energy than for a balding teen idol who seemed to try to be cool all the time and play with the remainder of what was his hair.

Bernie will be sorely missed by me.

You have to see him in "Head of State".

[Anneskobsen]

Sounds like someone who is pissed about losing their own hair ^

[Brutton]

Its well known that Ledger had problems about his hair image. He grew it and constantly played with it as a habit. When he was a teen soap idol, his hair was who he was.

Its pleasant to see how Mac's fans are reacting compared with what happened earlier this year with Ledger, where everyone was trying to excuse his behavior, which in reality was an appalling drug habit and a pretty bad example for young actors or young people.

[asypecresty]

GT: You write as if HL spurned your advances. So bitter about the man. And so hip to his quirks.

Let him rest in peace.

[Abnorbprootly]

Uh what? If you want to be a Ledger apologist I guess you are right.

If only his fans would let him rest in peace, instead of creating the most hideous whirlwind of lilly-white-washing seen for a celebrity death since... since who knows who. Since no one. Go to the IMDB boards and see the outpourings of "Heath was an Angel:" and "Theres No Damn Way He Took Drugs" to see the nonsense. It doesnt help anyone to be his apologist. What are your motives?

Mac had a sense of family, balance and sounded like an all round decent guy. Unlike Ledger, he doesnt seem to have been surrounded by apologists.

Keep apologising for Ledger, just do it on the IMDB board - youll be right at home and you can argue about whether Jack Black would have been a better Joker and whether Ledger drank cough syrup there with the others.

RIP Bernie Mac.

[roundman]

THe IMDB message board.



There's a good source of info. Unmoderated. Full of trolls who get chubbies by posting reverse reviews on films.

[fedordzen]

This has NOTHING TO DO ABOUT HEATH LEDGER.

Please stop posting about him.




Bernie was a character, and I liked the first few seasons of his show. Very ripe.

It is really a shame that he had to leave so soon! I was caught short when I heard about it on the news. Not hysterical, but just "Who just died??!? Him? No. He was too young to die!"

Anyway, I hope that others continue his brand of comedy and do not go completely corporate or anti-establishment. He seemed to swing a bit in between, but kicked on both doors....

[avodeinst]

This is a thread about B. Mack, not Ledger. G.T., you are sounding as bad as the troll that was trying to equate R. Limbaugh with Ledger.

[sttrqiss]

Moderator Edit:

Your off-topic post was deleted, and you repost it verbatim.

Are you looking for a confrontation?

Just move on.

[hoconnor6605]

Here'a a link to the Ledger thread -

http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16809&

if anyone should wish to post about him or his death.

[oxinsnepe]

Zippy, if you want to say something, do it under your own avatar.



Moderator delete

[scoundtrack]

I edited your post because you ignored the deletion.

Make one more off-topic post here, and you'll have another vacation.

[oscilsoda]

Zippy, if you want to say something, do it under your own avatar.

Stop bullying me just because you dont agree with the content of my post. Go to the HuffPost to see people who do agree with my view of the circus that surrounded Ledgers death and the contrast with Bernies.

If you want to delete a contribution to this thread and the fact that theres been no media circus with Bernie (afro american) but there is with Ledger (white drug addled teen idol - go figure), then get a job in Beijing, They need people with your skills there as we speak.

Show people here a bit of respect if they take the time to post rather than trying to stomp on people who dont fit your particular world view.
As I said, and rightly, "Whatever dude. At least Bernie was given a dignified passing, unlike Ledger with the 100,000 people viewing his body bag being wheeled out of the apartment. Like I said if you happened to have read my post, keep the Ledger Apologisms for the IMDB Board - thats where the circus is".

If thats too controversial for you, well nuff said.

Thanks to your bullying behavior Zippy, and your pretty obvious lack of ability to moderate, I chose not to post the pick of the 1000+ pretty darn neat photos of the architecture of Tokyo I have been taking for the benefit of the board.

Man seriously, theres something wrong with you if you wont let people express their views here, especially if they are reasonable, simply because you dont agree. Take that as some friendly advice.

GT

[JessiPollo]

^
The disagreement came from another moderator, who stated you were off topic.

I deleted your off topic post, and you reposted it.

And you did it again.

Since you're not inclined to take your rants to PMS, you are grandstanding at my expense.

Another week.

[paydayuscf]

Going for a record