Bernie Mac, 50, died at a Chicago-area infirmary Saturday morning time (8/9), afterward suffering complications from pneumonia.
His daughter, Je'niece Childress, said Mac's family line had expected him to fully convalesce when he first entered Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the center of July. However, she told the Chicago Tribune that as time passed, she and her mother braced for the hypothesis that her father, whose real name was Bernard Jeffrey McCollough, could die.
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Mac's health first gear became an issue in 2004, when he halted production on "The Bernie Mac Show" due to exhaustion. A year later, Mac aforementioned he had contracted sarcoidosis, a rarefied autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs. However, the comic had publicly aforementioned his condition had gone into remitment in 2005. This late bout of pneumonia was unrelated to the sarcoidosis, his publicist said.
Mac first gained national attention at age 32, when he began getting regular gigs on telecasting shows such as HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" after winning a Miller Lite comedy search. He shortly began fashioning movies, which included a bit portion in 1992's "Mo' Money," and a small part as Pastor Clever in the furore classic "Friday." Mac as well appeared in his have HBO Special, "Midnight Mac."
Mac--along with Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer--starred in the Spike Lee-directed stand-up comedy film "The Original Kings of Comedy," which Lee shot during the enormously successful tour of the same name.
In 2001, the comedian began starring in Fox television's award-winning programme, "The Bernie Mac Show." He went on to appear in several movies including "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers." Though he continued to tour of duty, Mac lately said he was finish his bristle career to focus more on film.
He has 2 movies scheduled for sack later this year: "Soul Men" with Samuel L. Jackson, and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." Mac as well will come along with Robin Williams in "Old Dogs," scheduled for a 2009 release.
Mac, a resident of Frankfort, IL, is survived by his wife of more than 30 age, Rhonda McCollough, their daughter, Je'niece, and one granddaughter, Jasmine.
A populace memorial celebrating Mac's life is scheduled for noonday Saturday (8/16) at the House of Hope in Chicago. Donations in Mac's honor crataegus laevigata be sent to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, 40 E. ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago, IL 60605.
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