The stars paid their respects and paid tribute to late comic actor Bernie Mac. The funny man and creator/star of the hit "Bernie Mac" show tragically died from pneumonia at 50. Bernie Mac was suffering from sarcoidosis. Jesse Jackson, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Bruce Bruce, George Wallace, Dee Dee Davis, Camille Winbush, Jeremy Suarez and Kellita Smith were among those who attended the Bernie Mac Memorial service at the House of Hope in Chicago. Our prayers go out to Bernie Mac''s family.
Film star Samuel L Jackson was among thousands of mourners who gathered in Chicago for the funeral of US comedian Bernie Mac.
Jackson, who recently made the movie Soul Men with Mac, said he "was always that kid from Chicago who wanted to make everybody laugh".
The service was held at the vast House of Hope church on the city's South Side where Mac grew up.
Mac died aged 50 last week from complications caused by pneumonia.
Jackson, who spoke at the church, added that he was aware the comedian was "having some health issues, but always said to me every morning that he was good".
"He never turned down that kid for an autograph," added the actor.
Chicago mayor Richard Daley also paid tribute to Mac's local roots, saying "he never lost his soul in Chicago", adding that he recently asked how he could help fight crime in the city.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was among those whose letter of condolence was read out at the service.
Some of Mac's comedy routines were played on large video screens at the church, with any colourful language bleeped out.
Many local people turned out to pay their respects, which halted traffic for several blocks in the area. source
Bernie Mac's Kings of Comedy co-star Steve Harvey was one of the first to publicly pay his respects to Mac and call him a "friend."
Thousands turned out this week at a memorial service in Chicago to pay tribute to Bernie Mac. Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer were among the comedians who gave speeches.
Harvey appeared solemn one moment—"You tell jokes for a living, you dig? Sometimes it's just not funny"—and in another he would unleash hilarious tales about working with Mac.
He told how Mac, formidable at 6-foot-3 and built like a football player, would pat the guys on their butts to encourage them before performances."But Bernie was heavy-handed. He had real strong hands, and they were cupped all like this," Harvey said, demonstrating Mac's hands while the audience howled in laughter.
Harvey said Mac had an amazing career.
"Bernie always said that he walked alone. I don't think that he was alone. I think he was walking with Jesus. I'll see you soon, Bernie," Harvey said, looking upward, then with perfect timing: "Well, I don't want to see you too soon." source
However, Bernie Mac and Steve Harvey's relationship may not have been on good terms. Bernie Mac had disclosed in an Ebony Magazine article that he and Steve Harvey ended their friendship after Steve Harvey tried to steal his Ocean's Eleven role.
Who remembers that Bernie Mac interview in Ebony magazine where Bernie talked about how he and Steve Harvey were no longer friends because after Bernie got that part in Ocean's 11, Steve and his publicist went behind his back and contacted the producers and tried to tell them that Steve would be a much better fit for the part? At the time, Bernie said of all the Hollywood bullsh*t he'd been through that was the one thing that hurt him the most. And now who's the first one on TV talking about how much they loved and will miss Bernie? Steve "I ain't got no shame" Harvey.
sourceHere is an excerpt from the Ebony Magazine article.
But perhaps his biggest break came when he was offered the part as a blackjack-dealing ex-con in the movie Ocean's Eleven. With a cast that included Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Julia Roberts, Mac, by far the novice of the group, became a household name to a whole new set of people. The movie was a huge success, but caused a riff in his relationship with his Kings of Comedy co-star Steve Harvey. As the story goes, someone representing Harvey called Ocean's Eleven director Steven Soderbergh to push for Harvey to get the part over Mac. "The Hollywood game that we are in, it's a cold game," he says of the person who tried to convince Soderbergh that Harvey was more popular and a better actor. "And the sad thing about it is all of us are doing well, so I don't really see the problem. It didn't bother me because I see the big picture. When they told me about it, what could I do? I'm not going to sling mud. I'm not a rapper. I tell jokes. I try to make people laugh. I'm not going to sling mud. Steve and anybody else can say whatever they want to say. Ain't nobody got no control over me. I have the control." source
