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When it comes to giving someone their flowers, there’s never really a wrong time to do it. Even after someone has passed away, it is very common for people to show their respect and admiration any chance they can get. This is especially true if said person made a lasting impact on the people and communities around them. A recent tweet gave us motivation to give one of the all-time greats their just due, if not for any reason other than he deserves it.
Later this year (August 9), it’ll be 15 years since we lost the great Bernie Mac. The Chicago native passed away from complications of pneumonia at the age of 50. Mac made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian at the Chicago’s famous Cotton Club. After winning the Miller Lite Comedy Search at 32, Mac’s popularity began to grow. It wasn’t until his performance on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam that he really stepped into the spotlight though. Thanks to a tweet from @Firstand15th we’re reminded that before we ever saw him star in films like
The Players Club, Life, Head of State or
Bad Santa, Uncle Bernie had already established himself as the kind of cameos.
The Mac Man made sure that every time he was on screen he made a lasting impression. Whether he played a husband whose wife was cheating on him or a Black cop that hated the sight of other Black people, Bernie had a keen sense for taking over scenes. The very first cameo he was credited for making was in 1992’s
Mo’ Money, although you might barely notice him. This was the last time that Mac didn’t steal the show when given the chance. After
Mo’ Money, Mac was everywhere cracking the masses up. To celebrate his legacy, we put together a gallery highlighting the cameo run Uncle Bernie went on in the 90’s. In the comments, let us know which scenes, characters and movies are your favorites. Enjoy! LONG LIVE BERNIE MAC!
