It is still a shock the fact that comedian Bernie Mac has passed away so suddenly. His friends and fans are deeply saddened by the news that the comedian’s struggle did not end in victory. Bernie Mac was hospitalized little over a week ago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for pneumonia and he died on August 9.

Even if sources said that his situation was worsening, his representative Danica Smith assured that he was just recovering and his condition was not critical. Smith even said the actor was expected to make a full recovery so the news of his death came as a total shock.

It was a well known fact that the actor suffered from sarcoidosis, a disease that affects the immune system. The autoimmune disease had gone into remission since 2005. Unfortunately the sarcoidosis made him more vulnerable to the pneumonia.

“It was in remission … but because he had it, his immune system was compromised. He had an infection ... He was on a new medication that suppresses the immune system, and that’s where the pneumonia came from.” Mary Ann Grossett, the late actor’s sister-in-law, told People magazine.

Friends of Bernie Mac, 50, paid their tributes.

According to E! Online, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Chris Rock, Seth Green and others said that they were deeply saddened by his death, acknowledging he was “one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live,” “one of the greatest friends a person could have.”(Chris Rock)

Bernard Jeffrey McCullough aka Bernie Mac was born on October 5, 1957, in Illinois, Chicago and began his career as a stand-up comedian. He is known for his roles in “Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, Charlie’s Angels, Bad Santa, Transformers” and other movies. He also had his own television show “The Bernie Mac Show,” demonstrating that he was a very talented comedian.