Raunchy. Hilarious. Talented. These are words that describe one of the most memorable and gifted actor/comedians of the world, Mr. Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac was not only just a king of comedy but, he was a husband, a father and a friend. He was also a significant part of growing up in a black household in the ’90s and early ’00s. From his first appearance on Def Comedy Jam in 1992 to his hit self-titled TV show, Bernie has and will continuously give us smiles and laughter for years to come. As we slowly approach the eleventh anniversary of his untimely death, we decided to come up with a list of Bernie Mac’s most memorable roles. If you’ve never watched or only seen one of his movies, I suggest you grab some popcorn and settle in. Here are the top 10 Bernie Mac movies.
1. Life
Life is a tale told through the memories of an inmate in a Southern prison that came across two of his longtime friends that were wrongly incarcerated of murdering a white man and sentenced to life. In this movie, Bernie Mac plays Jangle Leg, a gay man imprisoned with his lover, who also tries to make a pass at one of the longtime friends, played by Martin Lawrence.
2. The Player’s Club
The Player’s Club is a fictional tale of a young woman who not only is trying to pursue her college career while being a single mom but, is also trying to pay her way through school. She meets these two strippers at her regular 9-5 job who tell her about their job where she could make more money. Enter Bernie Mac’s character, Dollar Bill, who is the owner of the strip club entitled The Player’s Club.
3. House Party 3
House Party 3 is the final segment to a trilogy series that began in the late ’80s featuring the classic hip-hop duo at the time, Kid N Play. In this movie, Kid is planning a wedding with his fiancé but, he can’t go into the married life without having a considerable bachelor party to celebrate it, right? Bernie Mac plays Kid’s Uncle Vester, who not only gives him sound advice into marriage but, is also in town for the wedding.
4. Friday
Friday is the first segment of a trilogy series that stars West Coast rapper, Ice Cube, and comedian Chris Tucker. In this movie, Ice Cube’s character is just a regular guy in the neighborhood, who just recently lost his job and is trying to figure out the next step while hanging out with his friend on a Friday. Bernie Mac goes by Pastor Cleaver, a figure in their local church who makes a random stop in their neighborhood while Ice Cube and Chris Tucker are kicking it.
5. Don’t Be A Menace in South Central While Drinking Your Juice in The Hood
Although Bernie’s role in this movie was a cameo, it was a hilarious one. Bernie takes on the part of Officer Self-Hatred, who does a routine traffic stop by holding up the two main characters, played by Shawn and Marlon Wayans. This movie is also a parody of movies that came out in the early ’90s that portrayed police brutality and growing up in an all-black neighborhood.
6. B*A*P*S
B*A*P*S is a movie about two girls from Atlanta, GA that travel to Los Angeles to become famous video girls. They get turned down and come across a significant opportunity that eventually changes their lives. Bernie’s role in this movie was small, as well. He plays Mr. Johnson, the boss at the diner the two girls worked.
7. Guess Who
In Guess Who, Bernie takes on the role of Percy Jones, a successful black man who is planning to renew his vows to his wife. With the party coming up, his daughter decides that this would be the perfect time to not only surprise her folks with a visit but, to show up he with her longtime boyfriend, who happens to be white. Of course, Bernie’s character is taken aback by this and immediately shows how uncomfortable he is with his funny actions and lines.
8. Pride
Pride centers around the story of an American swim coach, Jim Ellis, who takes a couple of African-American boys from basketball players to swimmers in this moving depiction of triumph in the a70’s. Bernie plays the role of Elston, a janitor at the rec center the boys practice at, who also has a rivalry with Jim.
9. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
In the second installment to the Madagascar franchise, Bernie Mac plays, Zuba, the main character, Alex’s father. In this movie, Alex tells the story of how he was raised in Africa with his family and then is suddenly kidnapped and becomes a zoo animal. Alex is anxious to find his family again iso; he begins a hilarious route in going back home.
10. Soul Men
Soul Men was a posthumous release that Bernie began working on before his death in August of 2008. In this movie, Bernie co-starred with actor Samuel L. Jackson, as two bandmates that haven’t spoken to each other in thirty years. Until they hear that one of their other band members have passed away and so, they embark on a national reunion tour along with bumps in the road and creating a new bond that they lost.