Trivia: An edgy comic who skyrocketed to comedy fame with his memorably side-splitting appearance in Spike Lee's The Original Kings of Comedy, Bernie Mac may have seemed an unlikely candidate for a television sitcom, but with the debut of The Bernie Mac Show, the inventive comedian began on a high note, leaving many pondering the apparent overnight success of the comedian who had ostensibly come from nowhere to become a ubiquitous presence. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, IL, Mac was a member of a large extended family living under one roof, which provided the energetic youngster with plenty of fuel for refining his ability to perform dead-on impressions and humorously recall memorable family occurrences. Time spent as a gopher for performers at the Regal Theater also served as a primer for his showbiz aspirations (as well as a cautionary warning of the destructive temptations that go along with fame). Mac's first experiences with standup came at the age of eight, when he performed a routine about his grandparents at the dinner table in front of the congregation at church. Though it resulted in some strict reprimanding from his grandmother, he had the audience feeding out of his palm and the young impressionist quickly had the epiphany that humor meant more to him than the sting of discipline. From that point on, Mac refined and developed his comic abilities on the tracks of Chicago's El trains and in local parks. Though he earned a modest keep from his public performances, Mac craved the legitimacy of the club circuit and he began to perform professionally in 1977. After early film work -- including memorable appearances in Above the Rim (1994) and The Walking Dead (1995), which followed on the heels of his big-screen debut in 1992's Mo' Money -- Mac was offered and appeared in the television series Midnight Mac in 1995. Hesitation as to the neutering of his material made the comedian leery of television, and the show didn't last. The comic actor earned more attention when he turned up frequently the following year in television's Moesha, though mainstream acceptance was still four years and numerous bit film parts away. Following The Original Kings of Comedy, Mac began to develop an idea for a sitcom that revolved around similar family experiences and retained the edge that had initially shocked his audiences into laughter. In 2001, he debuted the family sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, and it was a success, running for five seasons. 2001 would indeed prove to be the year of the Mac as he also took on a substantial role in director Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11. He reprised that character in the two Ocean's sequels, as well as lead roles as a vice presidential candidate in the Chris Rock political satire Head of State and as a washed-up baseball player in 2004's Mr. 3000. 2007 saw Mac in a more serious role as a kindly janitor in the inspirational sports drama Pride. Upon his death in August 2008 of complications from pneumonia, Soul Men, in which he stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson as a soul singer embarking on a reunion tour, had yet to hit theaters.­

Trivia: Actress Kellita Smith primarily established herself on television, with an effective portrayal of über-professional, no-nonsense wife Wanda -- straight man to the popular eponymous comedian on the rollicking sitcom The Bernie Mac Show (2001-2006). Previously, Smith had tackled guest roles on series programs including Nash Bridges, Martin, Sister, Sister, and NYPD Blue. Her activity extended to cinematic work from the beginning, with a 1995 portrayal on the harrowing Sean Penn-directed drama The Crossing Guard. Smith placed a heightened emphasis on features after The Bernie Mac Show wrapped at the end of its fifth season, with work in theatrical outings including Fair Game (2005), Roll Bounce (2005), and Feel the Noise (2007).

Trivia: A Renaissance performer who is perfectly at home (and who has proven herself adept) in a broad array of genres and formats, Niecy Nash dreamed of an acting career from early girlhood. She trained as a theater major at California State University, Dominguez Hills, then obtained her first paid acting assignment by virtue of an L.A.-area casting director who enlisted her in Herbert Ross' 1995 comedy drama Boys on the Side. That assignment resulted in a memorable scene opposite Whoopi Goldberg, and Nash followed it up four years later with a small role in Robert Altman's comedy Cookie's Fortune (1999). The actress made her most enduring impact on television, however, with guest spots on NYPD Blue and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, vocal work as Tollie Mae on the offbeat animated sitcom Kid Notorious, and -- perhaps most endearingly -- a regular assignment as Deputy Raineesha Williams on the raunchy, rollicking police-themed sitcom Reno 911! In 2007, Nash starred as the character of Jacuzzi opposite Cedric the Entertainer and Lucy Liu in the comic thriller Code Name: The Cleaner. Nash also hosted the Style Network's home-makeover series Clean House, and emceed both Emmy and Oscar pre-shows.

Trivia: African American character actor Glynn R. Turman was first introduced to the general public as Lew Miles, teen-aged son of Dr. Harry Miles (Percy Rodrigues) and his wife, Alma (Ruby Dee), during the 1968-1969 season of the prime-time TV soap opera Peyton Place. Turman went on to star as Chicago high schooler Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 film sleeper Cooley High. Settling into character roles in the 1980s, Turman was most often seen as judges, military officers, police detectives, and well-to-do patriarches. A departure from these "establishment" assignments was Turman's star turn in the 1981 TV-movie Thornwell, in which he portrayed real-life soldier James Thornwell, who accused the U.S. Army of subjecting him to illegal mind-controlling drugs. Turman's weekly series roles have included Secretary of State LaRue Hawkes in 1985's Hail to the Chief, and Colonel Bradford Taylor (aka "Dr. War") in the popular Cosby Show spin-off A Different World (1988-1993); he also appeared in the 1983 pilot episode of Manimal as Ty Earl, a role essayed by Michael D. Roberts in the series proper. In the 2000s, Turman played the memorable role of fictional Baltimore mayor Clarence V. Royce on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. Also on HBO, he appeared in a few episodes of the psychotherapy drama In Treatment, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as the tough, strict father of Blair Underwood's troubled fighter pilot. In the years to come, Turman would remain active on screen, appearing on shows like The Defenders and House of Lies.

Trivia: Adopted by a social worker in Mississippi when he less than 2 years old. Began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian in Washington, D.C. Gained notoriety in the early '90s for his adept impersonations of celebrities like Sugar Ray Leonard and Sammy Davis Jr. Made his feature-film debut opposite Halle Berry in the 1991 movie Strictly Business. Honored in 2012, along with his In Living Color castmates, with the Groundbreaking Award at the TV Land Awards 10th Anniversary ceremony.

Trivia: Black supporting actress, onscreen from the late '70s.

Trivia: Musician-cum-film actor Omari Grandberry (sometimes billed by his stage name, Omarion) launched his career as a member of the hip hop boy band B2K in the early 2000s, before he branched out into film roles and pursed a solo musical career. Grandberry debuted as an actor in 2004, concurrent with the disbandment of B2K. Per his recording experience, he gravitated to urbanized, musically oriented dramatic parts, such as David in the urban dance picture You Got Served (2004) and an appearance as himself, teaching viewers slick dance moves alongside his co-stars, in the feature's instructional video companion piece, You Got Served: Take It to the Streets (2004). Grandberry played Reggie in the family-friendly outing Fat Albert (2004), based on the famous Bill Cosby cartoon, then took a three-year departure from the screen to focus on recording as a solo artist. As such, Grandberry specialized in unabashedly raunchy lyrics detailing the ups and downs of romance, dating, and sex -- qualities showcased on his debut album, O (2005). Its better-received follow-up, 21 (2006), revealed a lyrical maturation and a smooth segue into more R&B-flavored material. Not long after, Grandberry returned to cinemas with his first lead. In Feel the Noise (2007), he played a hip-hop star who must seek protection with his father in Puerto Rico when a nasty band of thugs threatens his life.

Trivia: Best known for his trademark deadpan delivery and behind-the-mic evocations of the stoner mentality, Sacramento-born stand-up comedian, character actor, and television mainstay Brian Posehn graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 1984 before cultivating his schtick at age 21 as a "road comic" in contests across the country and with appearances on MTV's 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour. Many small-screen turns followed, including bit parts on Seinfeld (as Artie, a patient in the episode where Kramer "contracts" gonorrhea) and Friends. In two roles with a slightly higher profile, Posehn joined the Mr. Show sketch comedy troupe on HBO and became a periodic fixture on NBC's Just Shoot Me, as mail clerk Kevin Liotta. Posehn occasionally contributed as well to Comedy Central's Jerky Boys-like puppetcast Crank Yankers. A handful of big-screen roles followed, including that of a store clerk in the yuk-yuk (Jim Carrey-less) comedy sequel Dumb and Dumberer (2003), Jimmy in Rob Zombie's 2005 splatterfest The Devil's Rejects, and a spot as himself in Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic. As an offshoot of Mr. Show, Posehn teamed with Bob Odenkirk and many others to co-author the script of 2002's Run Ronnie Run!, a project intended for the big screen (ala Jackass: The Movie) but disastrously reedited and all but disowned by its creators. Following The Devil's Rejects, Posehn signed on to provide a voice for helmer Mr. Lawrence's second directorial outing (which Rob Zombie scripted), 2007's animated The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. He had some prior experience, via his voice work on a number of animated series, including Mission Hill, 3 South, and several Adult Swim projects. Something of an underground, counterculture figure, Posehn -- a self-proclaimed "metal head" and comic-book devotee -- is good friends with the gifted Southern California-based comic Patton Oswalt (whom he joined on the Comedians of Comedy tour) and, more tellingly, with Anthrax's Scott Ian (with whom he collaborated on the tongue-in-cheek song, "Metal by Numbers.") Posehn has been married to comic Melanie Truhett since 2004.