Anthony Mackie is widely known for playing Sam Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his recent release, Captain America: Brave New World, became the third highest-grossing film of 2025. Even though the movie has received mixed reviews, the audience and the critics have appreciated Mackie’s acting as Captain America.
Mackie made his on-screen debut with 8 Mile in 2002 alongside Eminem. It was a critical and commercial success, earning Eminem an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Lose Yourself. The Marvel actor, in his recent interview, opened up about working with one of the greatest rappers in the industry.
Anthony Mackie says everything he has done is for his late mother
It took some time, but Marvel fans finally got on board with the idea of Anthony Mackie taking over the mantle of Captain America from Chris Evans, who was one of the people who hyped and cheered the actor’s new role in the MCU. Anthony Mackie also felt a sense of accomplishment when he realized that he had climbed the success ladder from being number 6 on the call sheet to being number 1.
However, the actor does not forget his roots or where he comes from. He is the youngest of six children from a tight-knit middle-class family who struggled after their mother was stricken with terminal illness. He shared with Variety,
It was unexpected and very untimely. I was 15 when she was diagnosed with cancer, and a few months later, she was gone. She passed the day before my ninth-grade graduation. If my mom wouldn’t have passed away when I was so young. I wouldn’t be where I am today.
To cope with the grief and loss of his mother’s passing, Mackie started to act, and he shared that everything he’s done, he did for his mother. The actor added that she was his best friend, and losing her gave him strength and desire to succeed in life.
Trying to find his way, to his people, Anthony Mackie was accepted at New York’s Juilliard School in 1997, where he was a part of a breakthrough class of students of color, which he found very liberating. He said,
Our year was a huge transition. There were hardly any Asian people in the drama program, maybe one or two Black people, and hardly any Black women. In our class, we had three Black women, two Black men, one Native American, and one Asian female.
The actor went on to star as Tupac Shakur, Martin Luther King Jr., Papa Doc, and others. He has always been lauded for his work on-screen and especially for Sam Wilson. Samuel L. Jackson, who not only stars alongside Mackie in the MCU but is also a mentor to him, shared that he’s fearless and can portray any character the maker wants him to.
Despite playing brilliant characters on-screen and receiving praises for his work, Mackie’s career didn’t feel a huge shift at the time, but he believes that The Hurt Locker 100% is why he got Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In 2021, when the actor appeared on an episode of Hot Ones, he shared that his Juilliard training helped him with his rapping skills, which was needed for his debut role.
The idea of approaching a rapper from the perspective of an actor, you’re just speaking in poems. I always said one of the greatest rappers who ever lived was Shakespeare.
He also added that if he didn’t have any training, he wouldn’t have been able to play Papa Doc, Tupac, or Falcon. Anthony Mackie was highly lauded for his work in his debut movie, and he has no plans to stop.
Anthony Mackie recalls the climactic rap battle in 8 Mile starring Eminem
In a recent interview on The Pivot podcast, Marvel actor Anthony Mackie recalled working with Eminem in 8 Mile. The movie was a fictionalized version of Eminem’s life, but the actor noted that the climactic rap between their characters had real elements to it. Mackie said,
We’re doing the movie, and you know Eminem is just such a brilliant dude. We’re on set one day, and he’s like, ‘Yo, it doesn’t make sense we’re beefing.’ I need something on you.
Which Mackie recalled led to the two of them talking for two hours and sharing about each other’s lives. The next day, when they were supposed to film the rap battle between B-Rabbit (Em) and Papa Doc (Mackie), the rapper started to rap about Papa Doc.
However, it turns out the rap lyrics that said that Papa Doc’s real name is Clarence, he went to private school, and how his parents were married, all were in fact about Mackie.
The actor recalled that his aggressive expressions during the battle were all real because Em was out there going after him. He clarified that Em’s rap in that scene had nothing to do with the character.
Back in 2021, upon his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Anthony Mackie shared that Eminem asked him if he could add some stuff in the script about him to his character, to which the actor agreed.
But later added that Em wanted to learn about him so that he could make fun of Papa Doc in the movie. However, it does not seem as if Mackie holds a grudge against Eminem, as he understands that artists are allowed to get inspired and take creative liberties when it comes to their art.
8 Mile can be streamed on Prime Video and Apple TV+.
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