He has come a long way from learning under the also oft under appreciated Don Cheadle off Broadway or pushing Eminem to the brink in 8 mile as Papa Doc. Now it seems as if Mackie has finally begun to garner some of the attention he rightfully deserves and may even be suiting up as the New Captain America if things don’t fall right for the old cap in this upcoming battle against Ultron and other supers in Age of Ultron and Civil War respectively. Of course that is purely speculation but one can dream right?
But lets take a step back for a moment and check out 5 of Mackie’s best and reminisce on all the times he’s wowed us, errrrr me for the sake of this article.
8 Mile
As Papa Doc, Mackie had Rabbit (Eminem) on the verge of breaking down and ending it all. Mackie’s performance was riveting and visceral. His hip hop delivery never feels forced and he feels powerful as a nemesis to Rabbit and as the film’s antagonist. The film produced an Academy Award for best song but it should also be credited for putting Mackie on the map as an up and coming black actor of note.
She Hate Me
With a few other minor performances under his belt, this film marked Anthony Mackie’s breakthrough performance (as evidence by his Nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance at the Black Reel Awards). This film is pretty wild and imaginative. Mackie handles all this craziness with a wit that is believable and endearing. If you haven’t seen it check it out!
Click to the next page below for more!
Sucker Free City
Being one of my all time favorite indie films, “Sucker Free City” is a fun ride through San Francisco’s criminal underground. I really liked Anthony Mackie’s scenes with Ken Lueng (another over looked actor which we may have to feature for Asian Heritage Month). Mackie brings an intelligence to his role that is refreshing compared to run of the mill gang banger straight from central casting. The film is definitely worth a watch, in large part due to Mackie and his incredible performance.
The Hurt Locker
Gripping and suspenseful Mackie delivers an awesome performance here, complete with his charisma and wit. He won ACCA and AAFCA honors for his portrayal of Sergeant JT Sanborn. Hopefully we get to see he and Renner team up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Click to the next page below for the final films!
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Speaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Falcon Mackie saves Cap over and over again. Mackie added to what was already an awesome film with his rendition of Sam Wilson/Falcon. With the aforementioned rumors about him possibly taking the helm as the new Cap I am excited to see if and when this becomes a reality.
We Are Marshall (Honorable mention)
As Nate Ruffin, Mackie shows his depth and emotional range in this riveting film. As heart wrenching as this film is I definitely felt Mackie delivered a stellar performance.
When surveying the Hollywood landscape there are an incredible amount of Black actors who deserve much more credit than they are given. Anthony Mackie is one such actor. FilmFad Salutes you Mr. Mackie. Keep up the amazing work!