There are many Marvel fans who have forgotten that, before becoming Captain America, Anthony Mackie
once took on a very different kind of battle on screen – against Eminem in the Oscar-winning drama 8 Mile
. Taking part in a rap battle with one of the greatest rap-stars of all-time can be a daunting task, but what made the scene ever more notable was that Eminem
ensured that it included a very calculated and personal “attack” on Mackie himself.
In the 2002 drama, Mackie played Clarence, aka Papa Doc, the leader of the Free World rap group who takes on Eminem’s B-Rabbit in the movie’s climactic rap battle. What many people did not realize is that among the shots taken at Mackie’s character were not actually about the character, but some were personal shots taken at Mackie himself. However, it was not quite as malicious as it sounds. As Mackie explained on The Pivot podcast:
“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 don’t make sense that we beefing.’ And I was like, ‘Right?’ And he’s like, ‘I need something on you.’ So we talk for, like, two hours, chilling. I go to the casino. The next day, we’re shooting the battle scene, and that’s why I’m standing there like, ‘You’re talking about me. You’re not talking about Clarence! You’re an a——, Eminem! I’m like, ‘I’m gonna fight this mother f———!’ I’m like, ‘Yes my parents are still married!’”
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Anthony Mackie’s range as an actor has been reflected throughout his career thus far. From playing a superhero to a rapper, he’s got it all.
Naturally, this was all done in the good nature it was intended – to make a great movie. And it certainly succeeded. 8 Mile went on to earn an Oscar for Best Song (“Lose Yourself”), as well as nominations across
Anthony Mackie Has Gone from Strength to Strength as an Actor
8 Mile was the feature film debut of both Eminem and Anthony Mackie, and although the former has dipped his toe into acting again on several occasions, Mackie has seen his Hollywood career soar in the last decade mostly thanks to his role as Sam Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also returned to the rap arena when playing Tupac Shakur in the 2009 movie, Notorious, which was a movie that brought a particular challenge for the actor. As he previously explained:
“The idea of approaching a rapper from the perspective of an actor, you’re really just speaking in poems. I always said, one of the greatest rappers [who] ever lived was Shakespeare. If I didn’t have my training, I wouldn’t be able to play Tupac, Martin Luther King, Papa Doc, Falcon. The training is just something that gives you an extra layer to stand on.”
It seems that his training has certainly paid off in a big way, with the actor having evolved his role of Sam Wilson from his origins as the Falcon to the new Captain America, setting him up for big roles in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and who knows what beyond that.
Source: The Pivot
