In the clubs he often "worked blue," so some doubted Bernie could make the transition to the profanity-free tube. Wrong! The straight-talkin' comedian brought his offbeat but direct style to his successful prime-time sitcom, where he often addressed the audience straight on.
A key part of the Ocean's ensemble, Bernie could banter with the best of them. He even played the race card with exquisite comic timing when he accused the Vegas casinos of racism: "They might as well call it 'whitejack!'"
Bernie's surly charm energized this comic take on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in which his initial hostility to would-be son-in-law Ashton Kutcher morphs into begrudging respect.
Though it wasn't a big hit at the box office, Bernie showed a deft dramatic touch in this baseball flick in which his big league egomaniac learns there might, just might, be something in the world more important than him.
As grumpy security guy Gin, Bernie sniffed out Bad Santa Billy Bob Thornton's half-baked holiday scam and tried to cut himself in on the deal. His character came to a bad end, but Bernie was brilliant in this cult classic.
On paper, the Bosley role was a whole lotta nothing, but onscreen, Bernie turned it into something special.
Casually profane and incredibly funny, Bernie got a boost into the mainstream with this Spike Lee comedy concert flick, in which he poked his brazen comic genius into dysfunctional families, middle-aged sex and a full explication of the term "motherf--ker." Nice!