Ice Cube’s Take on Bernie Mac’s Role in ‘The Players Club’

Ice Cube has set the record straight on Bernie Mac’s legendary performance in the 1998 cult classic The Players Club, a film Cube both wrote and directed.

During a conversation with comedians Chico Bean, DC Young Fly, Clayton English and Karlous Miller for his appearance on The 85 South Comedy Show, Cube pulled back the curtain on Mac’s iconic portrayal of “Dollar Bill,” calling it the “greatest of all time.” When asked by Bean if Cube had a hand in Bernie Mac’s involvement in the film, the rap legend-turned-Hollywood mogul didn’t hesitate.

“Hell yeah, I wrote and directed that movie,” he said, cementing his role as the creative mastermind behind the project. “I specially wrote Dollar Bill for Bernie, man. That’s one of the greatest of all time right there.”

Ice Cube added that while Mac had plenty of memorable roles in his career, nothing else came close.

“It’s hard, to me, for anybody to mess with that,” Cube said, clearly in awe of the late comedy star’s performance. Cube backed his assertion up by explaining how Mac’s comedic brilliance elevated the movie, which was already a home run to new heights.

“We just—I just let him get busy,” Cube revealed. “I don’t start with a whack script, right? The script’s got to be funny out loud while you’re reading it before I even start.”

He credited the solid foundation of his writing for allowing Mac’s improvisational genius to shine through.

“If you just said it how it is, it would be funny,” Cube said, adding that the real magic came when Bernie added his own flavor to the role. “Stick with the script but also add those, you know, curveballs in there, that just takes it to another level.”

The Players Club remains a cultural staple more than two decades after its release. The film grossed over $23 million at the box office, a strong showing for its modest $5 million budget. Its popularity only grew with home video rentals, becoming a frequent favorite at neighborhood video stores. In the streaming era, the film continues to attract new fans, racking up millions of views on platforms like Prime Video and Peacock. With Ice Cube’s reverence for Bernie Mac’s performance, it’s clear that Player’s Club is not just a film—it’s a legacy.

Ice Cube’s 11th studio album, Man Down, arrives on Friday (November 22).