Bernie
Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on October 5, 1957 in Chicago,
Illinois. The start of Bernie Mac's career was when during high school
he would put on shows for neighborhood kids in Chicago's south side. He
worked a variety of jobs during his 20's. He was a furniture mover, UPS
man and a bread delivery sales rep. He started as a stand-up comedian in
Chicago's Cotton Club. Bernie Mac won the Miller Lite Comedy Search in
1990 and his popularity as a comedian began to grow. A gig on HBO's
Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the spotlight. He opened
for Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole and had a number of HBO
comedy specials, which helped increase his popularity further.
Later Mac also began acting in minor roles, and received his big break
as Pastor Clever in Ice Cube's 1995 film, Friday. Following that role,
Bernie Mac would also work in many other movies, and some television
appearances, including Booty Call, How to Be a Player, Life and What's
the Worst That Could Happen?. Bernie Mac also had a small recurring role
on the sitcom Moesha, playing Moesha's uncle Bernie and the character "Andell's"
one time Love interest. Bernie Mac was also one of the few African
American comedic actors to be able to break out of the traditional
"black comedy" genre, having roles in the remake of Ocean's Eleven and
becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie's Angels sequel, Charlie's
Angels: Full Throttle.
In 2001, Fox gave Bernie Mac his own sitcom called The Bernie Mac Show.
The show, based on his own life, in which he suddenly becomes custodian
over his sister's three children, has been a huge success in part
because it allows Mac to stay true to his stand-up comedy roots,
breaking the fourth wall to communicate his thoughts to the audience.
Mac's show also stars three young actors who play his sister's children.
They are Vanessa, Jordan, and Bryana. Bernie plays a fictional version
of himself on the show, along with a beautiful young wife named Wanda (Kellita
Smith). Much of the comedy arises from Bernie's habitual frustration
with his nephew, Jordan (Jeremy Suarez), and his niece, Vanessa (Camille
Winbush). This show contains many parodies to events in Bernie's actual
life.
