Anthony Mackie’s biography offers an insightful look into the life story of a versatile actor. Born in New Orleans and trained at Juilliard, Anthony Mackie’s success story spans from indie films like Brother to Brother to his iconic role as Sam Wilson/Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a background in theater and a growing presence in Hollywood, Mackie has shown consistent dedication to his craft.
Biography Summary
Anthony Dwane Mackie, born September 23, 1978, is an established American actor. Mackie first appeared on the big screen in the 2002 music drama 8 Mile. His performance in the 2004 LGBT-themed Brother to Brother earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor. That same year, he was also featured in The Manchurian Candidate, the Spike Lee-directed Sucker Free City, and the acclaimed Million Dollar Baby. Mackie’s other notable roles include Half Nelson (2006), and in 2008, he appeared in Eagle Eye and received another Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Hurt Locker. He portrayed Tupac Shakur in Notorious (2009) and took leading roles in Night Catches Us (2010) and The Adjustment Bureau and Real Steel in 2011.
Mackie gained international fame for portraying Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon and later Captain America, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first appearance was in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and he most recently appeared in the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). Throughout this period, Mackie continued to diversify his acting portfolio with roles in the period crime movie Detroit (2017), The Hate U Give (2018), the horror movie Synchronic (2019), and The Banker (2020).
In addition to his film work, Mackie has an impressive stage career, having performed in both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions such as Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Drowning Crow, McReele A Soldier’s Play, and Carl Hancock Rux’s Talk, for which he received an Obie Award in 2002. He portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the HBO television film All the Way (2016) and starred as Takeshi Kovacs in the Netflix series Altered Carbon (2020). Currently, he stars as John Doe in the Peacock series Twisted Metal, which began in 2023 and is ongoing.
Early Life
Anthony Mackie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 23, 1978. He is the son of Martha Gordon and Willie Mackie Sr., who ran a roofing business called Mackie Roofing. His brother, Calvin Mackie, once served as an associate professor of engineering at Tulane University and is now employed by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Mackie’s educational journey took him through Warren Easton Sr High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). In 1997, he finished the high school drama program at the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA). He went on to attend the Juilliard School’s Drama Division, graduating in 2001 as part of Group 30, a cohort that included actors Tracie Thoms and Lee Pace.
Career
2002–2007: Early Career
Anthony Mackie began his acting career in 2002, serving as an understudy for Don Cheadle in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog. That same year, he won an OBIE Award for performing in Carl Hancock Rux’s Talk and portrayed the character Papa Doc in 8 Mile. In 2003, Mackie took his first leading role in Brother to Brother, where he portrayed Perry, a young gay black artist. His career progressed with roles in Million Dollar Baby, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Spike Lee’s She Hate Me in 2004. By 2006, he had roles in films like Half Nelson, Crossover, and We Are Marshall.1
I was raised with a sense of entrepreneurship – my father owned a roofing business, and I grew up with the idea that you never want someone telling you what you can and cannot do.
Anthony Mackie
2008–2015: Theater and Breakthrough Roles
In 2008, Mackie performed in three August Wilson plays—Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, and Jitney—at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of a special presentation of Wilson’s works. He also participated in New York City’s “24-Hour Plays” multiple times. In 2009, Mackie played Pentheus in The Bacchae at Shakespeare in the Park and later performed on Broadway alongside Christopher Walken in A Behanding in Spokane in 2010.
Mackie played Tupac Shakur in the 2009 film Notorious after he had previously portrayed him in a 2001 stage production, Up Against the Wind. That same year, he appeared in The Hurt Locker and narrated The Best That Never Was, a documentary about football player Marcus Dupree. In 2011, he played Harry Mitchell, a member of a mysterious organization in The Adjustment Bureau.
2014–2019: Marvel Cinematic Universe and Notable Roles
Mackie’s career reached a new level when he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He reprised the role in multiple Marvel films, including Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).2
In 2016, Mackie portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the HBO drama All the Way. He also appeared in The Hate U Give (2018), playing the role of gang leader King, and starred in the Netflix science fiction film IO (2019).
2020–2022: Television, Films, and Directorial Debut
In 2018, in season two of Netflix’s Altered Carbon, Mackie was cast as Takeshi Kovacs. The following year, he appeared in Netflix’s Black Mirror for its fifth season. Disney confirmed Mackie and Sebastian Stan would star in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premiered on Disney+ in March 2021. Mackie also starred in and produced Outside the Wire, a Netflix release from January 2021, and signed on to reprise his role as Captain America in Captain America: Brave New World.3
In 2022, Mackie announced his directorial debut with the film Spark, starring Saniyya Sidney. He was also cast in the action film Ending Things with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and is set to star in a live-action adaptation of the game Twisted Metal for Peacock. Additionally, Mackie became attached to a film about the 1956 Sugar Bowl, highlighting his brother’s alma mater, Georgia Tech.4
Personal Life
Anthony Mackie married his longtime girlfriend and childhood sweetheart, Sheletta Chapital, in 2014. The couple, who have four children, divorced in 2018. The family resides in New Orleans.
In the summer of 2011, Mackie opened a bar called NoBar in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. He had plans to open another NoBar in Williamsburg in 2013, but by 2015, all NoBar locations had closed.
I’m a firm believer in people who love what they do.
Anthony Mackie
In November 2013, Mackie was arrested for driving while intoxicated after being initially stopped by police due to his vehicle’s tinted windows, which are illegal in New York. He was fined $300, required to complete a drunk driving program, and had his driving privileges suspended for 90 days in New York.5
On The Kelly Clarkson Show, Mackie shared that he has dyslexia.
Awards
- 2009: Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards, The Hurt Locker, Best Ensemble Cast
- 2009: Gotham Independent Film Award, The Hurt Locker, Best Ensemble Cast
- 2009: Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, The Hurt Locker, Best Ensemble
- 2009: AAFCA Awards, The Hurt Locker, Best Supporting Actor
- 2010: Black Reel Awards, The Hurt Locker, Best Supporting Actor
- 2010: Black Reel Awards, Night Catches Us, Best Actor
- 2021: MTV Movie & TV Awards, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Best Hero
- 2021: MTV Movie & TV Awards, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Best Duo (shared with Sebastian Stan)
Final Reflections
Anthony Mackie’s life story reflects a career built on hard work and growth, from his award-winning performances to his directorial debut with Spark in 2022. His success story, highlighted by his portrayal of Captain America, continues to inspire, solidifying his place as a respected figure in the entertainment world.
Reference List for Anthony Mackie’s Biography
- Dargis, Manohla. “In ‘Half Nelson,’ a Student Knows a Teacher’s Secret.” The New York Times, 11 Aug. 2006. ↩︎
- Fleming, Mike Jr. “Daniel Bruhl To Play Villain In ‘Captain America: Civil War’.” Deadline Hollywood, 14 Nov. 2014. ↩︎
- Sharf, Zack. “‘Captain America 4’ Retitled ‘Brave New World,’ Drops First Look at Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford on Set.” Variety, 6 June 2023. ↩︎
- Cox, Timothy. “Pitt Football Player Changed Course of History at 1956 Sugar Bowl.” The Times, 29 Dec. 2021. ↩︎
- Hayden, Erik. “Anthony Mackie Arrested, Charged With Driving While Intoxicated.” The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2013. ↩︎
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