Well-known comedian and actor Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, a.k.a. Bernie Mac, died at the age of 50 early Saturday morning after complications with the pneumonia of which he was suffering. The terrible news was confirmed by the comedian’s publicist.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles. Smith gave no other detail about the actor’s death and asked that Bernie Mac’s family privacy to be protected.

According to a statement released by Bernie Mac a few years ago, he had been suffering from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.

The two time Emmy Award-nominated actor had checked into Northwestern Hospital about a week ago and remained hospitalized since then to receive treatment for the pneumonia. When he first checked into hospital, his family said he was in "very, very critical" condition.

The Chicago-native actor started his show-biz career in high school when he used to put on shows for neighborhood kids in Chicago's south side until moving to Tampa. After a period during his 20s when he worked as a furniture mover, UPS agent and a bread delivery sales rep, Mac started as a stand-up comedian in Chicago's Cotton Pickin' Club.

His popularity as a stand-up comedian began to grow after he won the Miller Lite Comedy Search at the age of 32 and made a big step into the spotlight with his appearance on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. He also began to act in a series of minor roles and received his big break as Pastor Clever in Ice Cube's 1995 film Friday. After that big comedy role, Mac acted in a series of other movies such as including Booty Call, How to Be a Player, Life and What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Bernie Mac also had roles in block-buster movies such as the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, the Charlie's Angels sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Mac continued his series of stand-up comedy performances touring the country as one of "The Kings of Comedy", along with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley.

Mac’s Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006, earned him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.

Bernie Mac left behind a grieving wife, Rhonda McCullough, their daughter, Je'Niece, a son-in-law and a granddaughter, Jasmine.