Comic actor Bernie Mac died early Saturday of complications from pneumonia, according to a family member and his publicist. He was 50.
Bernie Mac blended style, authority and a touch of self-aware bluster to make audiences laugh and connect with him. For Mr. Mac, 50, who died Saturday, it was a winning mix that delivered him from a poor childhood to stardom as a stand-up comedian, in films including the casino heist caper “Ocean’s Eleven” and his acclaimed sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.”
Though his comedy drew on tough experiences as a black man, he had mainstream appeal, befitting inspiration he found in a wide range of humorists: Harpo Marx, Moms Mabley, Red Skelton and Redd Foxx.
Mr. Mac died from complications of pneumonia in a Chicago-area hospital, said his publicist, Danica Smith. A public memorial is planned for noon Aug. 16 at The House of Hope church in Chicago, Smith said.
“The world just got a little less funny,” said “Ocean’s” co-star George Clooney.
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