Bernie Mac has passed away at the age of 50 from complications from pneumonia. The comedian and actor died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago early Saturday morning:
Bernie Mac, the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian who worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago’s South Side, died Saturday at age 50.
“Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital,” his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
She said no other details were available and asked that his family’s privacy be respected.
[From The Associated Press]
Mac started his career as a stand up comedian over 30 years ago. He went on to his own sitcom on Fox, The Bernie Mac Show, in 2001, and featured roles in films such as Ocean’s 11, and Charlie’s Angels. Mac planned to retire after he finished work on his film The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac. He told David Letterman last year that he wanted to focus on producing and spending time with his family and that “I want to enjoy my life a little bit. I missed a lot of things, you know.”
Mac is survived by his wife of 31 years, Rhonda McCullough, and their daughter Je’Niece, 30.
It was incorrectly reported last week that Mac had passed. His rep said that he was responding well to treatment at that time, and that the reports were inaccurate. Mac was a long time sufferer of sarcoidosis, an auto-immune disorder that causes inflammation in the organs and can affect the lungs.
Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones at this difficult time.
Details from Wikipedia and The Chicago Sun Times. File photos of Bernie Mac thanks to WENN
Good lord this is sad. He’s younger than my mom…
Thoughts and prayers to the family.
Condolences to his family during this unbearable time.
oh my word. that´s terribly sad. i am lost for words. my thoughts go out to his family and friends…
godspeed bernie.
One of my favorite comedians — so sad.
Absolutely shocked, I took the last post on him to indicate that he wasn’t even critical anymore and was recovering well. So unexpected. This is just awful. Very sad news.
Damn. He was one of the good guys. His show was funny as hell, yet really sweet. I remember seeing him live, and i don’t think i’ve ever laugh so hard when he did the “milk n cookies” bit. Hilarious!!! I’ll miss him.
very sad, rest in peace mr. mac, he always had me cracking up
oh wow, thats really sad, i was quite shocked seeing that post when i logged on. His poor family, my heart goes out to them
rest in peace
Oh, man, and he was such a stand-up guy. The premise of his TV show was based on his own experience taking in his sister’s kids. What a sad loss.
May he rest in peace.
I’m shocked and am not quite sure how to deal with this. He was so young (50 is young- younger than my Mother) and so talented. Thanks for making me laugh Bernie. You will be missed!
Man Bernie, so sad to hear. I too thought you were on the upswing. Say hello to George Carlin for me. “So-long America.”
He was so so young to die of pneumonia
LOVE AND PRAYERS TO BERNIES FAMILY. I LOVED HIS SENSE OF HUMOR. SAD,SAD DAY.
Oh no! I didn’t think he would die from pneumonia at age 50….He was such a nice guy. This goes to show we need better antiobiotics as there is a strain of pneumonia where the strongest drugs won’t work anymore. Maybe that’s the kind Bernie had.
RIP Mr. Mac, Thanks for the laughs you gave us.
Thats so terribly sad. RIP Bernie we all loved you <3
😥 RIP DUDE
He will be greatly missed.
Scary- I just spent two weeks in the hospital with pneumonia that collapsed one of my lungs. I almost didn’t make it myself. Makes you realize how quickly life can take a wrong turn.
Prayers up for Mr. Mac and his family.
So terribly sad and shocking; I thought just a few days ago they said he was going to be okay… truly a great loss. Rest In Peace, Bernie!
i’m in shock. RIP, & my thoughts go out to his family. 🙁
Rest in peace. I always enjoyed your comedy and loved your show.
My husband told me about this this morning and it took awhile to sink in. I never watched his show but I was a fan of his stand-up comedy routine. He seemed to be a good soul and I am sure his family and friends feel his loss keenly.
Bonus dulcis vir, you will be missed.
Very sad. he seemed like a gentle man, and a class act.
RIP, BM!!!
How ironic that Bernie passed on the day of the Bud Billiken parade. The parade is a tribute to those that help the Chicago youth and is held on the South Side. Bernie is a South Sider that helped Chicago youth. I’m glad they could dedicate this year’s parade to his memory. He will be missed.
Thanks Bernie Mac for making us laugh. You came along when people of color were getting no respect nor roles on TV. I also thank you for exposing this whack generation to music (on your TV show), that had hipness, style, awareness and most importantly, talent. If only for a moment, many would question me then Google to find out who the artists where. I thank you for that. It’s a sad day but I’m LMAO remembering the funny things you shared with us! 😥 R.I.P Bernie Mac!
RIP
RIP Bernie….I am sure that Redd Foxx, Richard Pyor and Robin Harris are there to meet you….I am sure you all will have the big guy up there laughing hard as hell…LMAO!
😳
🙁 I actually do feel a bit upset now.
My thoughts and condolences with his family and friends. 50 is still young and vibrant – it must be a shock to his wife and daughter.
Was it vdantev who called it in the last thread? one of those times you really do wish somebody was wrong.
Rest in peace Bernie.
Be at peace knowing you devoted your life to helping those close to you, and entertaining millions.
The world lost a good man today.
I was never a big fan, but I’m really sad for his family. And that he missed out on so much life. Sucks!
RIP Bernie. He crammed a lot of life into those 50 years, but still this was way, way too early. He missed the whole third act.
What a horrible shock, NO!! This news shocks me into tears. I gasped & started crying, I can’t believe this! I had the great pleasure of meeting and spending time talking to Bernie mac, several times, when I did some acting/stand-in work for his show a couple years ago, and you guys would be blown away how sweet how on the real, how awesome he is, he always remembered me when I’d come back for more work on his show. One time we sat together during a lull in shooting and had a long conversation together about the importance of Truth in art. He was one of those rare individuals who emanates a beautiful, intense glow from within, warmth and intelligence and a powerfully genuine charisma. Oh, this is horribl;e horrible. 😥 😥 This is my birthday today! And Bernie Mac’s deathday, this is too sad for words for me. How could HE die?? He’s so strong and healthy! WTF???
So sad and unexpected. What a tremendous talent and loving man. My thoughts go out to his wife and daughter…try to know that he is in a safe place, and probably cracking up with George Carlin at this very moment. You will be united with him again some day.
Wow, that was sudden. I had a bad feeling when they said pneumonia. It’s never just pneumonia. He had apparently been sick for a long time beforehand with a recurrent inflammatory lung condition. Good night, funny man. 😥
I am truly sad. Chicago got a little darker today. It rained early today here in Chicago’s South Side. It is funny because the sun was shining and raindrops were falling pretty hard but then it stopped, and the sun was shining brightly. I guess Bernie Mac is already making them laugh up there! Rest In Peace Bernie Mac! And condolences go to the family! 😥
Heaven just got a whole lot funnier.
RIP
A total shock.The last news I’d heard was that he was responding well to treatment. My heart goes out to his loved ones at a time when words seem insufficient. May you rest in peace.
I’m totally sad. He was a funny, funny man.
RIP Bernie.
I am in shock. I absolutely loved him. Even though I knew he was in hospital. I tookit for granted that he would make it. I am actually gutted and speechless. RIP.
I always favored him a little more than most people because he was a Chicagoan, just like me. Today is a sad day. :[
What a sad and untimely death – only 50 years old. Loved his comic style, will miss him.
Andrea & Kris, if you don’t mind me asking, what part of Chicago are you from?
You will be missed! Thanks for the laughs!
Bernie Mac your’e the Best… GOD SPEED.. Our sympathy and prayers to your beautiful family… You will never be forgotten.. Rest In Peace….. This is so sad.. I’m so sadden over this.. Hard to believe…
Daisy, I am from the North side, I guess. I was born in Evanston, and have lived in Chicago three different times in my childhood. I wasn’t from the South, like Bernie, but my best friend was. Right now I am in California though.
Daisy,
Are you planning to stalk me? Because if you are, my bedroom window is to the far right! LOL! J/k.. i need some humor..
I am in the south suburbs..suburbs meaning, Chicago Ridge, Oak Lawn, and Bridgeview.
Nice area Kris. California is beautiful, you’re lucky, great weather. 😉
I’m from the south side, but spent my teenage years in Hinsdale.
so sorry to see this news. Mr. Mac had moral compass and raw sense of humor. Rest with the angels and watch over the rest of us if you please…and thank you for entertaining us with that which brought us laughter and insight.
my prayers are with his entire family.he is one of the great ones…..i’ll miss his wit and humor.god bless. kyle boisvert
I just read that he has been married to his wife for 31 years! Can you imagine being with someone for a majority of your life and then suddenly being alone?
That poor woman. I can’t imagine the grief she and the rest of his family must be going through. He seemed like a big sweetie. 🙁
It’s so awful, Amy, he was the most sincerely and truly beautiful man you can imagine – a family man to the heart of him, as his longtime friend and fellow King of Comedy Steve Harvey was saying today in a brief CNN telephone interview. Bernie Mac was (I hate saying “was,” it still doesn’t sound at all right) a gentleman and an inconquerable soul, a brilliantly beautiful man who should have f**king lived longer. This is bullsHHt that he had to die. Alarming and infuriating. In 21st Century America, how can people die in hospitals with Pneumonia of all things?? I mean, this is unbearably unfair.
I will never forget this wonderful person, and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the time with him that I’ve had. I always thought I’d see him again, talk to him again, I just took it for granted that I would. Now what? Gone. I hate death. F**k death.
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” – norman cousins
let´s honor bernie mac by living life. really living life.
Poor guy.
Fifty is a rather young age to die.
HIV is a horrible disease.
Molly Ivnifer:HIV is a horrible disease.
It wasn’t HIV, you insufferably stupid SHIT. Read the f*cking article.
the world of comedy has lost a great guy. his rib cracking humor will be missed. rest in peace mac. may the lord god bless his family.
May he rest in peace. God bless his family.
A TRUE GAINT
Solid PERFORMER
STAND UP GUY
A TRUE FRIEND!!!!!! Bernie YOU WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED.
😥 OH MY GOD R.I.P TO BERINE MAC I WILL ALWAYS MISS HIM HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART NO MATTHER WHAT HAPPENS? THIS THING WAS HARD WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT BUT GIVE IT UP TO HIM FOR MAKIN EVERONE LAUGH SMILE AND CRY FOR HIS COMEDY/PROUDER/ACTOR/AND HIS SHOW LOVE YOU BERINE MAC WITH LOVE UR BIGGEST TYANNA MASON MATTHEWS ALL THE WAY CHI-TOWN EVERDAI I WAS BORN IN CHICAGO MOVED OUT WHEN I WAS 10 BUT GIVE THE LOVE AND SOUL TO BERINE MAC?!!!!
👿 I WILL MISS BERINE MAC WITH LOVE HIS BIGGEST TYANNA LOVE I WILL LAY MY LIFE ON THE LINE FOR HIM TO GO BAC TO CHI-TOWN Memorial Hospital AND JUSS SIT THERE!!!!!!!!LOVE YOU SOOOOOOSOOOOOS MU BERINE MAC OCTOBER 5,1957-AUG 9,2008
I enjoyed his talents. He really liven my life. May god comfort the family and each day the hurt liten untell it gone. you’er fan barb decker,