Comedian Bernie Mac Dies at 50

Comedian and actor Bernie Mac has died at 50 of pneumonia after a week’s hospitalization in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports. Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an unusual autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the lungs. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, the comedian was a late bloomer, achieving fame in his 30s for his fast-talking, brash brand of humor on HBO specials, in films, and eventually in his own TV show.

Mac began doing standup before age 10. Winning a comedy search when he was 32, he appeared on shows like HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and his own comedy specials. He later scored a breakthrough part in the film Friday; many more roles were to come. The family-based sitcom The Bernie Mac Show ran from 2001 to 2005. “You've got to make people respect you. Respect is bigger than dollars and cents,” he said. (More Bernie Mac stories.)