Aldis Hodge has already filled some rather large shoes in biopic roles, playing both MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton and most recently as Jim Brown in One Night in Miami. Now, he’s entertaining the possibility of adding yet another big name to his acting resume – at the late star’s own daughter’s request.
While appearing on The Talk earlier this week, Hodge reacted to the news that late comedian Bernie Mac’s daughter Je’Niece McCullough dropped his name as a desirable option to portray her father in a recently announced biopic detailing his rise to stardom and status as an icon in comedy.
“Look, to have his daughter’s blessing, that is, I can’t tell you how immensely happy and grateful and honored I feel, because that’s her pop, you know what I mean?” he told the hosts.
The as-yet-untitiled Bernie Mac biopic was officially announced over the summer at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. John Legend’s Get Lifted Productions will reportedly helm the project in collaboration with Bernie Mac’s Estate, run by the late comedian’s wife. Though no name has officially been given to the film and no casting decisions have been announced, McCollough told TMZ directly that she sees Hodge as an excellent option to capture her father’s essence on-screen.
“Look, no one has called me, but if the opportunity did come across my desk, that’s ‘absolutely,’” Hodge said. “Bernie Mac is one of the greatest legends we have, not just comedy.”
Though Mac is widely known as a legend of standup, with his vivid storytelling and sharp punchline delivery, Hodge points out that he was actually a quite skilled actor – a skill of his that is often overlooked when fans bring up his lasting legacy.
“Honestly one of his roles that I love the most, it might be a little avant-garde, is his role in Life…people might misunderstand the actual ‘acting acting’ that went into that performance,” he said. “I mean, he’s brilliant.”
For Hodge, the biggest honor is the fact that Mac’s own daughter thinks that he would do the role of her father justice. He says he would jump at the chance to bring Mac’s legacy to the big screen.
“If that was ever something to come to pass, I absolutely would be like ‘yes, yes, yes – a thousand times, yes!’”
