America, you’re not going to believe this! Confirmed at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, John Legend and his production partner, Mike Jackson, confirm that a Bernie Mac biopic is on the way! Jackson confirmed that the upcoming project will be produced by Legend’s Get Lifted production company, stating, “We just partnered with Bernie Mac’s estate to cover Bernie Mac’s story.”
The late Original King’s of Comedy’s, comedian and actor, born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, known professionally as Bernie Mac passed away in 2008 from pneumonia complications. Legend worked along side him in his last film, Soul Men which was released in 2008. Mac was known for his stand up comedy, but played many roles over the years after his first role in 1992’s Mo’ Money. However, Mac was best known for his show, The Bernie Mac Show, based loosely on his life which ran from 2001-2006.
Legend affectionately reflected on The Bernie Mac Show during an interview stating,
“It was beautifully done… His humor was always edgy but it always had so much heart to it at the same time. You could tell he was a family man. You could tell that he loved the people he was talking about.”
The show was about Mac’s take on family and parenthood. In the episodes, Mac affectionately addressed viewers as, “America,” expressing his feelings on raising children in a comical way. I’d say that The Bernie Mac Show is only a foreshadow of the amazing biopic to come. With Legend teaming up with Mac’s estate, I’m sure we can expect an authentic glimpse of Mac’s life. Be on the lookout for the upcoming biopic.
