The leading man in the blaxploitation film 'The Mack' has died.
The PR team for the actor says he passed away on January 1 due to undisclosed circumstances.
They say in part. He was known for being bold, honest and straightforward. He would speak his truth privately and professionally. He was thought of as a rare man.
David F. Walker broke the news about his friend's death in a social media post.
I met Max in 1996. He was a great person and we had a lot of great conversations. He was hilarious and charismatic. An artistic rendering of a classic scene from "TM" was accompanied by R.I.P. DFW's caption.
There was no cause of death.
In the cult classic film, which was released in 1973, he played the role of an ambitious pimp in Oakland who faces off with corrupt cops and a drug lord after being released from prison.
He builds his roster of women with his sidekick, Slim, who is played by a young Richard Pryor, before he blew up as a big time actor. At this point, RP was already established as a comedian.
Several lines and scenes from 'The Mack' have made their way into popular culture, especially in hip-hop, with multiple rappers sampling snippets of the film into their songs. Too Short, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, MC Ren, Kriss Kross, and Big K.R.I.T. paid tribute to the man.
There are some notable movies and shows that Julien has starred in. "The Black Klansman," "Psych-out," "Uptight," "Mod Squad," " Getting Straight," "How to Be Player," among others. He helped create the 'Cleopatra Jones franchise'.
His wife, Arabella, is still alive. His public birthday is listed as online, but he died at the age of 88. We've been reassured. Max was born in 1933.
I am sad.
