GOLDIE FROM ‘THE MACK’MAX JULIEN DEAD AT 88
BREAKING NEWS47K1/1/2022 5:46 PM PT
Reprint from the Everett Collection
Max Julien — famous for his leading role in the blaxploitation film ‘The Mack’ — has died.
![](https://imagez.tmz.com/image/27/4by3/2022/01/02/2709fe519c304232a28fcef5ab1ed88f_md.jpg)
The actor/writer/producer passed away on Jan. 1, due to undisclosed circumstances — this according to his PR team … who says his wife discovered him early him Saturday morning.
In a statement, they say in part … “During Julien’s decades-long career, he was known for being bold, honest and straightforward. He would live and speak his own truth both professionally and privately. He was thought of as a rare ‘man among men‘.”
Comic book writer and film producer David F. Walker broke the news about Julien’s death in a social media post, honoring his friend the-mack-star-max-julien-goldie-dead.
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He wrote, “I met Max back in 1996. He was a great human being, and we had so many amazing conversations. He was brilliant and hilarious and charismatic… R.I.P” DFW’s caption accompanied an artistic rendering of Julien in his prime, depicting a classic scene from ‘TM.’
No cause of death was revealed.Everett Collection
![the mack](https://imagez.tmz.com/image/42/4by3/2022/01/02/42ec9a2c09794a33a8ef544a3b589e71_md.jpg)
While he’s got handful of acting credits, Julien will be most remembered for playing Goldie in the ’73 cult classic film — in which he portrays an ambitious up-and-coming pimp in Oakland, who faces off with corrupt cops and a drug kingpin upon being released from prison.
Along the way, he builds his roster of women with his sidekick, Slim … who, funny enough, is played by a then-young Richard Pryor, well before he blew up as a big time actor. RP, of course, was already well established as a comedian at this point.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/?enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com&widgetid=1
Several different 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. Some of those MCs who paid tribute — Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, MC Ren, Kriss Kross and Big K.R.I.T. … just to name a few.
Some other notable movies and shows Julien has starred in … “The Black Klansman,” “Psych-Out,” “Uptight,” “Mod Squad,” “Getting Straight,” “How to Be Player,” among others. He also helped create the ‘Cleopatra Jones franchise — another blaxploitation saga.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/?enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com&widgetid=2
Julien is survived by his wife, Arabella. He was 88, despite what his public birthday is listed as online. We’ve been assured … Max was born in 1933.
RIP