Add another one, Neil Diamond, to your “Done Too Soon” lyrics: Bernie Mac is gone at 50. Although he rose from a poor upbringing to become a household comedic name, there was always a sense that there was more genius there, more exposure to come, more lives to touch, and more fulfillment for a genius in search of…something.
The Associated Press featured one of the stronger reviews of his life, which ended Saturday.
“Though his comedy drew on tough experiences as a black man, he had mainstream appeal,” wrote Frazier Moore.
“The world just got a little less funny,” said George Clooney, his “Ocean’s Eleven” co-star.
“This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie,” echoed Don Cheadle, another “Ocean’s Eleven” co-star. “He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier.”
In the few days after his death, he’s been remembered for his work in movies, television, stand-up and politics. Known for “The Bernie Mac Show,” this was a man who could also play a tongue-in-cheek Charlie in “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and remake Spencer Tracy’s role in 2005’s “Guess Who.” He also made a recent appearance at a Barack Obama fund-raiser in which his edgy humor drew a rebuke (then an affirmation) from Obama.
The shame of it all, though, is this: Among the kind things we all want to say about someone after they die, a real question remains that one’s passing should compel us to ask: Where is Bernard Jeffrey McCullough now? On a faith-based site such as this, it’s a compelling question, and the one most relevant to this one who made us laugh–and re-think our convictions about some scary subjects–in his relatively short time here.