Saturday, August 9, 2008

Comedian and Actor Bernie Mac Dies at age 50

The lovable and very funny comedian, Bernie Mac, who won a Peabody for his hit television comedy, The Bernie Mac Show, 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.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Mac was one of the original Kings of Comedy and brought a unique brand of humor to his comedy. His humor was bold and straight in your face and he didn't mince his words. He rarely apologized for saying what he meant. Mac said what he meant and he meant what he said. And if you didn't like cussing and fussing then you probably wouldn't have liked Bernie Mac's humor.

He reminded me of comedians Redd Foxx, Robin Harris, and Richard Pryor.

Today the world is less funny without Bernie Mac to make us laugh.

R.I.P. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

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