As I got older, I got into all kinds of things in the streets - but for some reason, I never got caught up with the gangs growing up. Everybody dug me, man. I never had problems. Bernie Mac More Quotes by Bernie Mac More Quotes From Bernie Mac 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. Bernie Mac comedy people 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. Bernie Mac romance strong sex Why I was so intrigued with Red Skelton was because he was able to make you cry and laugh and the same time. That was power. Bernie Mac red able laughing You can't be a doctor if you don't know the entire parts of the body. Bernie Mac doctors body knows When you're offstage, that's the footprint. That's the man God's gonna judge. Bernie Mac footprint judging men I became the storyteller of South Side Chicago. I used an old Kiwi liquid shoe polish as a microphone. I'd go around the house interviewing everybody, telling stupid jokes, doing voices. I mimicked Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., people on 'Laugh-In,' Flip Wilson. Bernie Mac shoes voice stupid I know doing movies is where I need to be. That's where my audience wants to see me. Bernie Mac audience want needs When I hit my 20s, I struggled to make it. I got married at 19, and my daughter, Je'Niece, was born a year later. I worked blue collar jobs during the day and comedy clubs at night, and I was earning about $25 a year doing stand-up. Bernie Mac daughter mother jobs Okay, first rule of this carpool. No breaking wind in my car. The only gas that Bernie Mac want to be smelling is unleaded. Bernie Mac car want wind I ain't running for office. I ain't running for nothing. Bernie Mac running-for-office office running I'm an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job. Bernie Mac guy ordinary jobs I want to do something that people can really say, 'Hey, man, that was good, I'm proud of you, I'm proud of that.' 'Pride' and 'Transformers' and things like that. Bernie Mac pride men people I wasn't disciplined at all. As good of an athlete as I was, I was not disciplined. Had I had the drive that I have in comedy, and acting, and writing, that's why I knew it just wasn't right for me. Bernie Mac acting athlete writing If I can tell someone a story that makes them bend over and laugh, that's bigger than anything else. Bernie Mac bigger stories laughing I came from a place where there wasn't a lot of joy. Bernie Mac joy 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. Bernie Mac cameras light men The success of my comedy has been not being afraid to touch on subject matters or issues that everyone else is politically scared of. Bernie Mac issues comedy matter 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. Bernie Mac comedian dresses fun I hate to let people down. I was like that in sports and I was like that in comedy. I was like that at work. When I worked General Motors and stuff like that, when I say something, I mean it. Bernie Mac hate sports mean I have Glocks, .45s, Berettas, Remingtons. I like the marksmanship and the discipline that it takes to be a gun owner. I like the machinery. Being able to take it out and clean it is even more fascinating than having the gun. Bernie Mac discipline able gun