Although it was just an untrue rumor last week, sadly, it's a truth today - one of the greatest comedians ever, Bernie Mac has died. And friends and colleagues are paying tribute to the late actor after hearing the devastating news.
Here's what some of his peers had to say:
George Clooney:
"The world just got a little less funny. He will be dearly missed."
Chris Rock:
"Bernie Mac was one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live but that was the second best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I'm gonna miss the Mac Man."
Don Cheadle:
"This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed but heaven just got funnier."
Oceans 11 co-star Carl Reiner:
“It’s a tremendous loss because of his age and the fact that he was such a vital, original human being. When I use the word 'original' I really mean it. He was like no other person I knew. He lived his life to the fullest, even when we were on the set of Oceans. He had his own little apartment and he cooked and invited people to lunch every day and he had food that was for everybody. He made very exotic things. His conversations were always different that any conversations I had with anyone else. They were very family oriented; he talked about his wife and children with such love and it’s very hard to believe that he’s not with us anymore.”
Actress/comedienne Niecy Nash:
Nash played Mac's little sister on the hit television series The Bernie Mac Show and acted opposite him in the 2005 film Guess Who said this about her friend and mentor: "His passing is such a major loss to the acting and comedy communities. Bernie Mac was the personification of the word 'real.' He kept it real. That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all the time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try."
Bernie Mac has one daughter, Je'Niece and one granddaughter, toddler Jasmine.
[Source]
