Add another one, Neil Diamond, to your "Done Too Soon" lyrics: Bernie Mac is gone at 50. Although he rose from a poor upbringing to become a household comedic name, there was always a sense that there was more genius there, more exposure to come, more lives to touch, and more fulfillment for a genius in search of...something.
The Associated Press featured one of the stronger reviews of his life, which ended Saturday.
"Though his comedy drew on tough experiences as a black man, he had mainstream appeal," wrote Frazier Moore.
"The world just got a little less funny," said George Clooney, his "Ocean's Eleven" co-star.
"This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie," echoed Don Cheadle, another "Ocean's Eleven" co-star. "He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier."
In the few days after his death, he's been remembered for his work in movies, television, stand-up and politics. Known for "The Bernie Mac Show," this was a man who could also play a tongue-in-cheek Charlie in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and remake Spencer Tracy's role in 2005's "Guess Who." He also made a recent appearance at a Barack Obama fund-raiser in which his edgy humor drew a rebuke (then an affirmation) from Obama.
The shame of it all, though, is this: Among the kind things we all want to say about someone after they die, a real question remains that one's passing should compel us to ask: Where is Bernard Jeffrey McCullough now? On a faith-based site such as this, it's a compelling question, and the one most relevant to this one who made us laugh--and re-think our convictions about some scary subjects--in his relatively short time here.
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god be with the family of bernie mac,he was a funny guy and my fav,out of mike epps,and chris tucker,god as a real true angel up there and yes heaven is a very funny place right about now.i am going to miss him very much and laugh so hard when i watch everything that hes in.he brings tears to my eyes when i watch him on tv.man he was very funny,so funny.love you Bernie Mac A Real Man With A True Heart,
god be with the family of bernie mac,he was a funny guy and my fav,out of mike epps,and chris tucker,god as a real true angel up there and yes heaven is a very funny place right about now.i am going to miss him very much and laugh so hard when i watch everything that hes in.he brings tears to my eyes when i watch him on tv.man he was very funny,so funny.love you Bernie Mac A Real Man With A True Heart,
Movies aren't going to be the same, thats for sure. I'm extremly saddened by his death and its seems like a dream. Rest in peace Bernie!
I AM EXTREMELY SADDENED BY THE DEATH OF BERNIE MAC. HE WAS A MAN OF GREAT RESPECT AND HE MADE YOU LAUGH EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAD. SO BERNIE MAC KEEP ON TALKING AND MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH UP THERE IN HEAVEN. WE WILL MISS YOU DOWN HERE WITH ALOT OF LOVE A FAMILY IN TEXAS
It is really weird how someone you never met in person, never talked to,would not even know your name can have such a trememdous impact on our lives. Yet, we watch movies and television and the characters become real to us, we relate to them. Which is why it is important to know what your children are watching. I loved to watch Bernie Mac, in the movies, on tv it didn't matter. I could relate to the story lines he represented. I found it strange when I mourned over his death. My only regret is that I did not and don't know if the Mac man found Jesus.
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