*A biopic about late-great comedian Bernie Mac is in the works, as it was recently announced at the 2021 Tribeca Festival.
Je’Niece McCullough, Mac’s daughter, has shared who she thinks should portray her father in the film. Speaking to TMZ, McCullough said John Legend‘s production company, Get Lifted, and Mac’s estate will head the project.
Here’s more from the outlet:
The first is Aldis Hodge — known for his roles on “Leverage” and in “Hidden Figures” — because Je’Niece says he’s a great actor with a similar complexion to Bernie. He also played MC Ren in “Straight Outta Compton” and more recently, NFL legend Jim Brown in “One Night in Miami.”
She also has an out-of-the-box option if producers want to portray Bernie in his younger years, and he’s a YouTube star. His name is Mark Phillips, and Je’Niece tells us her daughter loves him, and always says how much he reminds her of Bernie.
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Je’Niece’s mother is head of Mac’s estate and she thinks her mom will be down with Aldis and Mark.
Legend’s producing partner Mike Jackson discussed the pic during a panel discussion at the 2021 Tribeca Festival.
“We just partnered with Bernie Mac’s estate to cover Bernie Mac’s story,” Jackson said, noting that deal “just happened today” and that the new was “something that John doesn’t know about yet.”
“Look at you breaking news over here,” Legend said in response.
Following the announcement, Legend and Jackson reflected on Mac and the cultural impact of “The Bernie Mac Show.”
“It was beautifully done…. His humor was always edgy but it always had so much heart to it at the same time. You could tell he was a family man. You could tell that he loved the people he was talking about,” Legend said.
Bernie Mac died in 2008 at age of 50 from complications from pneumonia.
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