The D

Mr. 3000 Feature

Sept. 15, 2004

By Kyra Kirkwood

There may be no crying in baseball, but Bernie Mac, veteran comedian and star of the latest sports comedy to hit the big screen, would love to explore a range of emotions with his newfound acting chops.

"I want to make you laugh, I want to make you think about laughing and I want to make you cry," he said. "Jerry Lewis did it. That is poweräI want to have that balance: storyteller, laughter, cry and heart."

The headliner of the new feel-good baseball film "Mr. 3000" (opening Friday) is enjoying his time at bat. The movie, not quite a "Field of Dreams" tearjerker or a "Major League" knee slapper, allowed Mac to explore the world beyond his comedic existence. He looked past the oft-funny jokes in the script and latched on to the deeper meanings of the characters, giving studio execs something to chew on.

"I saw where I could really show Hollywood another part of me," he said quietly one afternoon in Century City. Having just recovered from pneumonia, the actor looked thinner yet healthy, donned in a bright-red baseball jersey and matching Kangol hat. "My grandmother always told me how you start is how you finish. I want to make people laugh, but I'm not going to make people laugh at me."

In the film directed by Charles Stone III ("Drumline"), Mac portrays egomaniac Stan Ross, a selfish, cocky Milwaukee Brewers star ballplayer who abandons his playoff-bound team when he reaches his 3,000 hit. Thinking this is his ticket to the Hall of Fame, Ross prepares to live the fat life. But when that invitation never comesãand when he discovers a mathematical error has made him Mr. 2997ãa now middle-age Ross must decide if he's fit enough to embark on another time at the plate. In the end, he discovers that second chances in life can be blessings filled with lessons, if you only keep your eyes on the ball.

A lesson this Chicago native knows well.

"Would I trade my time and all the trials and tribulations? No. Because if I did, I probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," Mac said somberly. "I learned so much. I appreciate so much."

It's an understatement to claim Mac is not an overnight success; he spent more than two decades paying his dues. Stand-up comedy and his own Emmy-winning television sitcom ("The Bernie Mac Show") helped make him a household name and lead him to supporting roles in big-name flicks like "Bad Santa" and "Ocean's Eleven," which was partially filmed in Palm Springs.

"My career has always been based on spontaneous instinct, and my heart. I've never been a worrier. Everything for me always falls into placeä'Mr. 3000' was nothing but God's work. He gave it to me."

Even so, Mac, 46, worked himself ceaselessly to be prepared physically for the role of Stan Ross. He performed all of the hits himself and even took a few stunt risks.

"I slid on my stomach one time, and I said you're crazy as hell," he said. "When I first started a few years ago, I was jumping through glass. Now, I'm a vet. I don't have to do that."

"Mr. 3000" also stars Angela Bassett as a charming, yet bulldoggish, sports reporter with a past tie to Stan Ross.

"She has a certain aura [just like Katharine Hepburn did]," grinned Mac as he recalled working with Bassett, one of his favorite actresses. "Katharine said so much without saying a word. Angie has the same type of aura about herself."

Bassett loved doing comedy, and relished the chance to work with Mac.

"Even when he's serious, he's funny to me," said Bassett, who joins the cast of "Alias" this winter. "He just makes you smile."

Just like its star, the script for "Mr. 3000" took some time to get its due notice. Penned 10 years ago by Detroit natives Keith Mitchell and Eric Champnella, the story is less of a sports movie and more of a lesson on life. After receiving some rewriting from screenwriter Howard Gould, "Mr. 3000" is now most comparable to "Bull Durham," claim writers.

"This is about a guy rediscovering himself," said Champnella. "If you take out the sports, it's still works."

The Stan Ross character is not patterned after Pete Rose or Barry Bonds (no matter what the rumor mill states); he's actually a microcosm of today's athlete, the one who has forgotten the magic and the love of the game.

Brian White, former New England Patriot's football player, knows that line well. He stole scenes at the cocky and talented T-Rex Pennebaker, the new force to be reckoned with on the team. Even though this son of Boston Celtics' legend Jo Jo White grew up around sports, playing sports, breathing sports, he never took any of it for granted.

"When I was playing, it was because I loved playing football. I would do it for free," said the 27-year-old. "[Sports] was something you did because you loved it. Which is the difference between the old school and new school mentality. I relate more to the old school."

Like Mac, White logged plenty of time in the batting cages and training fields before the film started shooting, and even performed much of the action onscreen himself. In fact, he's got a nasty scar on his side to prove it (which he showed off with a proud smile).

"I became a student of the game," he said.

The cast credits director Stone with helping keep the filming fun and the film meaningful, while he credits the cast for making this movie more than a mere "sports flick,'

"I knew there had to be something behind ["Mr. 3000]," he said. "The comedy had to be emotionally charged. It hits you hard."

No thanks to Mac, who could often steal the scene with a classic look of befuddlement or a quick snap of his witty banter.

"Bernie Mac is a larger-than-life character," said Stone. "He has a really big spirit in his work."

Which can only be good news for Mac, currently filming a movie with Ashton Kutcher.

"Like my mama always told me, 'Don't worry, keep doing what you're doing, boy. And they rest will do for itself.' Now that is a fact," he said. "I love what I do."