Bernie Mac

Biography

Bernie Mac
born: 05-10-1958
birth place: Chicago, Illinois

Born Bernard Jeffery McCullough, Bernie Mac’s inventive comedy was exposed to the mainstream in Spike Lee’s hilarious 'The Original Kings of Comedy'. Off that success Mac got his own slot on a TV sitcom, 'The Bernie Mac Show'.

Growing up in the energetic dynamic of a large extended family provided the fun-loving Mac with plenty of material for his comedy and the opportunity to polish his skills as an impressionist. Mac worked in the Regal Theatre and performed in Chicago parks and on the El in his younger days, earning a meagre living. He began to crave the legitimacy of official venues, and came a professional comedian at the age of 19.

The TV and film industries of the 1980’s were not interested in Mac; he was unfashionable and refused to change his image. The 1990’s were better: Mac made his film debut in
'Mo' Money'. This started a string of small parts in a string of movies, mostly comedies, including 'Who's the Man?', 'House Party 3' and 'The Walking Dead'.

That year was the turning point, Mac did an HBO Special called 'Midnight Mac', and he began to develop a cult following. In 1996 he starred in the memorable Spike Lee movie 'Get on the Bus' and three years later he starred with Eddie Murphy in 'Life' and went on to become a household name.