Bernie Mac dies

[DokhtarIrooni]

Sat Aug 9, 2:05 PM ET



WASHINGTON (AFP) - US comedian Bernie Mac, who played an ex-felon blackjack dealer in the "Ocean's Eleven" series and had his own sitcom on television, has died at 50, his publicist said Saturday.

The star of the critically acclaimed "The Bernie Mac Show" succumbed several days after being hospitalized for pneumonia which arose from a longstanding lung ailment, sarcoidosis, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Danica Smith told People magazine.

"[He] passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," Smith said. "No other details are available at this time."

Born in Chicago on October 5, 1957, Bernard Jeffrey McCullough got his start in the city's African-American comedy clubs, and broke into the big time after winning a national comedy contest in 1989.

His reputation grew after he made it to the HBO hit show "Def Comedy Jam," pitching his wry, pointed style at audiences of all colors.

"If you let people put tags on you, you'll never be able to remove them," he told the Chicago Tribune last year.

In the semi-autobiographical "The Bernie Mac Show," a hit for Fox television from 2001 to 2006, he plays a man charged with taking care of his sister's three children after she is sent for rehabilitation.

In 2001 he featured next to Brad Pitt and George Clooney as a casino card dealer in "Ocean's Eleven" and returned in the subsequent two sequels.

He also featured in the 2003 film "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and was a car salesman in last year's hit "Transformers." He also had a major part in "Old Dogs," the Robin Williams-John Travolta comedy scheduled for release in 2009.

The Chicago Tribune said he is survived by his wife Rhonda McCullough and a daughter, Je'Niece.

[Rasputin]

damn damn damn damn and damn ... and yu ppl still believe in God ... damn ... i am so sorry for his familly, he was a great person and also a great actor ... RIP .. .

[Dokhtare_Malous]

oh my God thast very sad i used to watch his shows khoda biamorzatesh

but bebakhshid Redwine jan in chesh be khoda hala? everybody has their own destiny hame yeruzi az in donia miran rabty be inke ppl belive in God nadare

[abadani69]

Khoda raftegoone tu ro ham biamorze REDWINE. inshalla khodet 99 saal omr koni

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Lung Disease Contributed
The sister-in-law says Mac's inflammatory lung disease contributed to his death. "He had sarcoidosis, but it was in remission," she says. "But because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that's where the pneumonia came from."

She reveals that Mac – having trouble breathing and running a fever – was actually hospitalized on July 24, eight days before the date given for his admittance. The actor was diagnosed with pneumonia and immediately placed on a ventilator.

"He was critically ill when he was in the hospital," says Gossett. "He was in intensive care the whole time."

She adds that doctors kept the star sedated, although he was conscious at times and he contracted a second strain of pneumonia while in the hospital.


His Wife's Reaction
Of her widowed sibling (like Mac, Rhonda is 50), Grossett says, "She’s devastated. However, she's at peace about his transition because of her faith in God. Her faith is what is sustaining her."

She says of the couple's enduring union, "They had 30 years of marriage. That's unprecedented in today's time, particularly for celebrities. That brings joy to her. They loved each other and respected each other on a daily basis. She was by his side to the very end."

Recalling the couple's early years, when they were still in their teens, Grossett says, "When they started dating, he said, 'Girl, you better come on board this train, because I'm going to be rich.' And her response was, 'Okay,' and they were married. That's how he charmed her, with his sense of humor."

She adds, "When they got married they were kids. He was 20 and she was 19. They both grew up together, and they both matured in this marriage.


'She's Going to Miss Him Dearly'
"What she will treasure the most is the fact that she was his wife for 30 years – and not only was she his wife, but she was his best friend. She's going to miss him dearly."

Mac’s funeral is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, at an undisclosed location. The family requests that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago IL 60605.

[DokhtarIrooni]

Roohesh shad. He was a great actor and comedian

[Rasputin]

When Bernie Mac was admitted last month into a Chicago hospital with a fever and trouble breathing, his wife, Rhonda, thought he'd get treatment and would be home in a week. But after no signs of improvement, she faced her biggest fear.

"He didn't look good to me and I knew this could be it," Rhonda, his wife of 30 years, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.

The 50-year-old comedian – who suffered from sarcoidosis, an immune system disorder that can affect the lungs – died Aug. 9 of complications due to pneumonia.

The couple had their last exchange a day before his death, as Rhonda stood vigil by his bedside. "I said, 'Hey Bernard. How are you?' and I kissed his forehead," she recalls. "He shrugged his shoulders, like 'I'm tired' and I said, 'I know you're tired.' Later on that night, it took a turn for the worse."

Rhonda and the couple's daughter, Je'Niece, 30, were ushered into a waiting room, where they received the grim news. "[The doctor] came in and I said, 'He's gone, isn't he?' and she said 'yes,' " Rhonda recalls.

The family now prepares for Mac's memorial service, to be held at noon Saturday, Aug. 16 at the 10,000-seat House of Hope in Chicago. His wife says she's comforted by the support of her family and memories of the man she met when she was a 16-year-old junior and he was a 17-year-old senior at Chicago Vocational High School. She was immediately charmed by his humor.

[Lihualee]

yes!

bump up then lurk