Full Story: Bernie Mac plans to retire from standup
Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he'll retire after he finishes shooting the comedy film "The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth, So Help Me Mac" this fall.
"And I'm going to put it in theaters and it's going to be 30 years for me, and I'm going to call it," the 49-year-old comedian said on Monday night's show.
"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."
"It's a great way to make a living but it also, it takes a toll, doesn't it? It's tough," Letterman said.
"Oh, man, you miss out on so much, you know, and you live in all these hotels — I was on the road 47 weeks out of the year," said Mac, who starred with D.L Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer in 2000's "The Original Kings of Comedy."
Said Letterman: "So, one last film record of your work."
Mac replied: "That's right. ... Comedy has been so good to me. And that's all I ever wanted, watching you guys. I had great mentors — Jackie Gleason, Flip (Wilson), Redd Foxx,
Richard Pryor,
Bill Cosby, Buddy Hackett. I had so many people to watch, that today you don't have that anymore."
His new film, "Pride," will be in theaters Friday.
7 comments:
Bernie Mac - Underrated! Up there with the greats of all time when it's all said and done!
i missed the opportunities to see richard pryor and eddie murphy doing live stand up, but i'll definitely try to catch mac 'fore he retires.
Gonna miss Bernie. Enjoyed his standup, saw him live a couple of times. Enjoy his movies, and tv show...but i understand.
yea, i'd love to catch his stand up act before he retires. have seen ced several times & i love the way he interacts w/ the audience, so i bet bernie mac would be GREAT!
it's funny to me to hear people say - "i love what i do, but i've missed out on so much"...heck, i haven't always loved what i've done & also feel i've missed out on so much. LOL! we can only do what we do, baby!
Being the only person on the blog that has actually worked a few stages with the Mac Man it's hard for me to believe that he is really going to hang up his stand up shoes. It's not an easy thing to do might be the only entertainment choice where you are in complete control of what it is you want to say and do. But if he does call it quits that would be find we comedians rejoice when the old heads move to the side so that we might prosper even more. Does anyone have Steve Harvey's number ? Tell him to get out of the way too ..smile
ahem...cort! you're an oldhead to someone else, so be careful what you wish for! LOL!
Had the oppurtunity to see the Mac Man when the original Kings of Comedy Tour came to Cleveland in 2000. Steve Harvey sucked but Bernie blew the roof off the house. I agree with c-mac, Bernie Mac is truly underrated. If you havent had the chance to see him perform live, you've missed out.
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