1957-2008Sunday, August 10, 2008
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2 comments:
This has truly been a terrible year in talented individuals cut down before they really got their chance to shine.
Bernie Mac was always someone I thought was never given the right role or right material to truly show what he was capable of. Don't get me wrong. I liked him alot in nearly anything he did, but he had so much more to offer I think than what Hollywood gave him.
I thought he out shined everyone in Kings of Comedy and that was when he really grabbed my attention. "I will bust your head til the white meat shows!" was a classic line. I thought he and his show was truly one of the most underrated on TV and never got the love it deserved. But perhaps he was destined to be relegated to being in ensembles, which wasn't bad. He was great in Oceans, Bad Santa, Friday, and even Transformers.
He was a man I greatly respected and admired in how he approached comedy and how he spoke about truths that we all said amongst our friends, but was too embarrassed to say to others. He was a great big Teddy Bear and the comedy scene will greatly regret not taking full advantage of him while they had the chance.
I never really came around on Bernie Mac as an actor but I loved his personality and his charisma. His ear-to-ear grin just seemed to surround you in the audience. He always seemed to be getting such a kick out of life, and that he was living the good life after such a tough upbringing, that it was hard to resist.
You could tell that he could barely contain his mile-wide smile while filming the Ocean's films. He played a small role in those films, but nailed the tone those films needed. And I did really enjoy his presence in Bad Santa as well.
And even though I rarely watched "The Bernie Mac Show," I did have the strange experience of watching it yesterday on the day of his passing. It was an episode with a special guest appearance from Don Cheadle where they attend the funeral of Cheadle's father (Mac's uncle). Mac blows his top at the service, then regrets not being able to say goodbye properly.
During the episode though there were so many eery images of Mac carrying a casket and talking at length about death that it made you feel like the channel had switched its programming at the last minute. It was apropos though, as I feel as if we as his audience will never get our proper goodbye either.
The show continues and Mac is reassured from his aunt that the way he acted while his uncle was alive was enough, that he knew how Mac felt, that he knew that he cared for him. Then Mac talks directly to the audience (as he always did on the show) and hands out some knowledge about making sure you let your loved ones know they're appreciated while they're still around.
Mac was taken far too young. Far too young at only 50 and shockingly abrupt. But I feel, and hope, that Mac received the same respect and love from his fans, friends and family.
Because even if you're like me and didn't particularly anticipate his films, you always wanted to see someone having as much fun as Bernie Mac always seemed to, someone that seemed so eager to entertain, and someone who seemed so genuine in a business where that is truly a rarity.
Rest in peace Mr. Mac, yours is another loss that is very hard to take.
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