60 Quotes by Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac, a highly talented comedian and actor, left an indelible mark on the world of comedy with his unique style, infectious energy, and memorable performances. Known for his quick wit, sharp humor, and ability to connect with audiences, Mac brought laughter to millions through his stand-up comedy specials, television shows, and film roles. His candid and relatable storytelling often drew from his own experiences, tackling topics such as family, relationships, and everyday life with authenticity and humor.
Mac's breakthrough came with "The Original Kings of Comedy" tour and subsequent film, where his comedic genius shone alongside fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D.L. Hughley. He further showcased his talent as the lovable but no-nonsense father figure in the hit sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show." Bernie Mac's comedic legacy, marked by his unforgettable delivery, unfiltered honesty, and ability to find humor in the ordinary, continues to inspire and entertain audiences, solidifying him as a true comedy icon.
Bernie Mac Quotes
Whatever you hear at the barber shop, stays at the barber shop.
Whatever success I've had, I always like to top it.
You can't change what happened. Just like you can't change the future by worrying about it. You just have to keep moving.
When it comes to raising children, I believe in give and take. I give orders and they take 'em.
I'm not afraid to fail. Sometimes when you lose, you win. Sometimes when you win, you lose.
Suffering is a good teacher. It keeps you in its grip until you've learned your lesson. (Meaning)
If you mess something up, remember who got you there. Don't be pointing fingers, even if finger-pointing is called for. Only one you got to blame is your own self.
You know you poor when you eatin' breakfast food late. You fryin' toast? At nine o'clock at night? With bacon? You're broke.
Sometimes when you lose you win, son. Failure is just life's way of preparing you for success.
Only way you can you get upset is when you expecting something.
Fear is not one of my attributes.
My comedy comes from pain. I can't stand to see someone hurting.
Hugs aren't like pieces of pie. Plenty of hugs to go around.
I'm so black, I leave fingerprints on coal.
People like rumors. They're going to say things like, 'You was at the club with Lil' Kim, and you and Kanye West got into a fist fight.' You can't get upset. You've got to keep hope alive.
America...Do not touch my TV, my DVD, my stereo, my dual-deck VCR. Do not touch my old school, my new school, my slow jams, my party jams, my happy rap, and you better not touch...My James Brown.
Black audiences are hard. They always think they're better than you. So you got to come with a little extra to satisfy them.
It took me a long time to get to where I'm at, in my career and as a man. I was going through my trials and tribulations in life, and it gave me the strength to tackle things that have come my way.
Making people laugh is what I've been doing since I was like four or five years old. I still have a lust, I still have a passion. I don't care about how I look, I'm dedicated to the laughs.
When you're offstage, that's the footprint. That's the man God's gonna judge.
Why do people love Richard Pryor so much? 'Cause he had problems.
Jerry Weintraub, the producer, might be a pain in the ass, but he really knows how to treat his actors.
You have to meet all of the challenges, big and small. Because how you start is how you finish.
That's the whole key to anything: Don't be afraid to fail. And is not afraid to fail.
Okay, first rule of this carpool. No breaking wind in my car. The only gas that Bernie Mac want to be smelling is unleaded.
It's a pleasure to work with someone who is just as strong as you are.
I'm an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job.
I'm not a star, and I don't want to be a star. Stars fall. I'm an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job.
I want people to say at the end of my day, you know, like I used to say about Sidney Poitier and James Cagney and Joan Crawford and Red Skelton and those guys and Bill Cosby. They did quality and substance. You always remember them.
They say if you don't have your health you ain't got nothing, but the truth is you ain't got nothing if you don't have no one to worry about your health.
You're never going to see me playing a buffoon.
I don't have no story. Everybody wants this Hollywood story, but the world don't owe you nothing, man. It's what you owe the world.
You don't see me in Los Angeles a lot. I go back home. Because I can't play the game. I can't - my tolerance - I know I'm getting old; I'll be 50 this year. And you know how I know I'm getting old? 'Cause my tolerance level is low.
You can't be a doctor if you don't know the entire parts of the body.
I've introduced myself with comedy, and once you've introduced yourself as something, that's where people keep you. That's where people like to hold you.
My humor had changed from foolishness to making sense.
I'm an entertainer and I really enjoy entertaining. I think if you're going to really be what you say you are, you have to really live it, work it, practice it, and think it.
Bernie Mac just says what you think but are afraid to say.
Bernie Mac don't sugarcoat.
The success of my comedy has been not being afraid to touch on subject matters or issues that everyone else is politically scared of.
Stand-up is what I am; stand-up is what made me.
If I can tell someone a story that makes them bend over and laugh, that's bigger than anything else.
I'm not ashamed to tell the truth about what happened in my family. I think that's what makes my comedy different.
I want to have fun. Life ain't no dress rehearsal. I want to have fun. I'm a comedian; I ain't no politician. So everything I do is with humor, with love.
I'm not a politician, I'm a comedian. I know my limitations.
You know, every time it comes, every time that light comes on or every time that camera comes on, every time that microphone comes on, the Mac Man seek and destroy.
The one thing about comedy, making it become a part of you, the audience loves it, because you become part of them.
I'm very much disciplined because I'm more mature. When I was young I just wanted to live, I could jump, I could run, I was quick and I was relentless.
Comedy has been so good to me.
My daughter was a beautiful child.
When I started in the clubs, I had to work places where didn't nobody else want to work. I had to do clubs where street gangs were, had to do motorcycle gangs, gay balls and things of that nature.
I've been in training for stardom.
I've never been no superficial cat.
Every time you see a black romance it's over-the-top. There always has to be extreme hostility between the sexes. He has to cheat. She has to show him how independently strong she is, not just as a woman but as a black woman.
I know doing movies is where I need to be. That's where my audience wants to see me.
My girlfriend Rhonda, who's now my wife, I graduated from high school, she got pregnant. My grandfather said, 'You've got to do the right thing.'
The two sides of Bernie - that's a quiet weapon that I have.
My family are police officers, detectives. My brother Mitch is FBI. Mitch is like that - a stern enforcer.
I've always been a reserved cat. When I play sports, there's people used to get mad at me because I didn't hang out and things like that. I've never been that kind of person. Nothing has changed in that regard. I've never been posse, and all that. I'm a quiet storm.
All you do as a performer is keep doing it. If you keep doing it, then it depends on why you're doing it. If you're doing something for superficial, monumental reasons and if you're doing it for female attention, or if you're doing it for money, it's like being upset. Only way you can get upset is when you expecting something. If you don't get this award or don't get that award, that because you expect something.
I'm not a star, I hate that word, and I'm an entertainer. Stars fall, you know, I'm an entertainer. I want to be known as an entertainer.
My grandmother always told me how you start is how you finish.
― Bernie Mac Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
