Bernie Mac

 Bernie Mac's influences were in The Three Stooges and listening to stand-up comedians Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. Mac started as a stand-up comedian at Chicago's Cotton Club. When he was awarded the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32, his fame as a stand-up comic began to grow. An appearance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam thrust him into the limelight; when Martin Lawrence was unable to control a tense crowd, Mac went onstage and famously said, "I ain't scared o' you mothafuckas," and told the crowd the comedian "didn't have to come here for nothing but stupidity. "Mac opened for Dionne Warwick, Redd Foxx and Natalie Cole. He played a small role in 1994's House Party 3 as Uncle Vester. A short-lived talk program on HBO known as Midnight Mac was also produced by him. Later, Mac also acted in minor roles. Mac played Mr. Johnson the no-nonsense owner of a grille and diner in the film B.A.P.S., and he got his big break as "Pastor Clever" in Ice Cube's film Friday in 1995. Following that role, Mac was selectively chosen for the lead role, The Wiz in the 1995 Apollo Revival of The Wiz.Mac was the first actor to be a star in the film as "Dollar Bill" who was a comical smooth-talking club owner in The Players Club. Mac was capable of breaking away from the traditional "black comedy" genre, appearing in the remake of Ocean's Eleven and becoming the new Bosley for the Charlie's Angels sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. He played the role of "Gin Slagel" in Bad Santa in 2003. Guess Who? also starred. (a comedic remake of the movie Guess Who's Coming To Dinner), Head of State, and also made an appearance in the film Transformers as the salesman from the car "Bobby Bolivia".