Underpinning Soul Men's high-energy hilarity is an unmistakable theme of mortality — a strange coincidence following the unexpected deaths of two costars, Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes.
Samuel L. Jackson, who plays an aging member of a former soul group alongside Mac, says the theme leaves him solemn and optimistic.
"I'll be 60 in December, so, I look at that, and I look in the mirror, and I still don't look like somebody I thought would look like this at 60," he told TVGuide.com "So, I think about it."
In Soul Men, which opened Friday, Jackson's and Mac's characters struggle to reckon with their elder years as they try to revive their brief stardom decades after their one-hit-wonder trio split up. Their cross-country road trip is punctuated by foot-tapping song and dance performances, slapstick-driven antics, encounters with the past and even a little legal trouble.
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Question: Just a quick note to say that I personally would love to hear your thoughts on the passing of Bernie Mac, if you have any you'd care to share.
Answer: I wasn't familiar with Bernie Mac before The Bernie Mac Show, but was instantly impressed by the raw honesty of his character and the unusual grit he brought to one of the funniest and freshest family sitcoms in years. I saw him in several films subsequently and was always impressed by his range, his powerful presence and his unending reservoir of sharp, barbed good humor. With his show, he set a high bar for family comedy that unfortunately hasn't really even been approached since Bernie Mac left the air. I was saddened that he passed away at such a young age with so much untapped potential. I'd hoped he could bring his point of view back to TV eventually in either a comedy or drama, but tragically, that wasn't to be ...
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Director Malcolm Lee is planning to re-edit his movie Soul Men in an effort to honor the flicks late stars Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes The film features Mac and Samuel L Jackson as two estranged soul singers who reunite to honor their deceased band leader The title comes from the famous hit Soul Man that Hayes wrote with David Porter No release date changes have been announced and Lee maintains that he wont be vastly changing the movie Rather hes only interested in creating a fitting tributeThis isnt like Dark Knight where Heath Ledger died while editing was in its infancy Lee told USA Today Most of our editing is done Well go back and see if there is anything we can do better But Mac left us with an indelible performance I think I got him at the top of his gameMac died Saturday from complications relating to pneumonia and Hayes died the following after collapsing at his Tennessee home Hayes cause of death has been identified as a stroke related to chro
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Bernie Mac's daughter, Je'niece Childress, expected a full recovery when the actor-comedian was hospitalized in mid-July. "Initially when he was hospitalized we expected him to come back home, but as the weeks went on, I kind of knew," Childress told The Associated Press. Childress, 30, was with Mac when he died Saturday from complications due to pneumonia."He was a hard man and he made no apologies for that," Childress said. "When it came to me and my mother and my daughter he was the softest." She lamented that her one-year-old daughter would never get to know her grandfather.Mac was an accomplished actor, with Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, but it was his humor that made him so popular. "I think he will always be remembered as one of the original kings of comedy," Childress said. "I think what made him so special to people was that even though he was a celebrity he just seemed so down to earth and so much like a part of your family."Mac's extended public family can pay thei...
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Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Bernie Mac died Saturday morning at the age of 50. Though family, friends and fans expected Mac to recover from his bout of pneumonia, the Ocean’s 11 star passed away from complications due to the illness. Take a look at the "King of Comedy"’s earlier stand-up days on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.
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