Pop Culture Zoo has just learned that popular comedian and actor Bernie Mac died earlier today due to complications with pneumonia. Mac had suffered from the disease sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body’s organs. In 2005 he had said the condition was in remission. On August 1, Mac was hospitalized with pneumonia. On the 2nd, his publicist said that he was responding well to treatment and should be released soon. Best known for his television sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show and the film series started with “Ocean’s 11”, Mac told David Letterman last year that he planned to retire from acting soon. He appeared in last year’s “Transformers” and his final three performances will be in November’s “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”, “Soul Men” (due out November 14) and 2009’s Old Dogs. It is not known at this time if Mac’s death will affect the release dates of any of those films. Our thoughts go out to Mac’s wife and daughter.
