“Bernie McCullough” in The Bernie Mac Show
The late Bernie Mac was pitch perfect as the irascible McCullough who grudgingly takes in three kids who aren’t his only to find himself an unlikely ideal parent.
“John Quincy Archibald” in John Q
Denzel’s character in this melodrama is such a protective father he literally holds a hospital hostage to see that this son gets proper medical care.
“Furious Styles” in Boyz n the Hood
It turned out Laurence Fishburne’s character was just the opposite of furious. He was a smart, sensitive righteous brother who fought hard to keep his son out of the gang violence that surrounded them.
“Cliff Huxtable” in The Cosby Show
Arguably the most popular dad in television history — Bill Cosby’s lovable (and sometimes bewildered) dad was hilarious but also very human.
“Chris Gardner” in The Pursuit of Happyness
In his most critically acclaimed role to date, Will Smith starred alongside his real life son Jaden in this touching true story of a single dad struggling to make ends meet.
“James Evans, Sr.” in Good Times
This blue collar dad (played by John Amos) was the backbone of the Evans family. He was a strong and dedicated father in an age when most black men on television were portrayed as buffoons.
“Cleveland Brown” in The Cleveland Show
Cleveland’s hysterical deadpan delivery has endeared him to the animated Cleveland Show’s show growing fanbase. Not exactly politically correct but almost always pretty funny.
“Carl Lee Hailey” in A Time to Kill
Carl Lee Hailey is such a bada** father, he actually kills the men who brutally rape his daughter. “Yes they deserve to die and I hope they burn in hell!,” he says in the film’s most memorable line of dialogue.
“Raymond Earl ‘Ray’ Campbell” in Sister Sister
Poor Ray, he had to juggle two precocious adopted daughters and the overbearing fashionista Lisa Landry Sims (played by Jackée Harry).
“Mr Jones” in Friday
Who can forget Mr. Jones (comedian John Witherspoon) forcing his son (played by Ice Cube) to stand in the bathroom while he did a number 2 and making the case for dog catching as a career. Priceless.
This weekend we celebrate one of the strongest pillars of the family unit — our fathers.
Looking back on memorable films and television shows, there are several characters that stand out as unforgettable fathers. Here are our picks for the top 10 dads we wish we had.
