Anthony Mackie on 'The Banker,' 'Altered Carbon' and Captain America
Anthony Mackie says he doesn't have time to relax right now. But the actor, with at least four big projects going now, has a good plan in place to get all the rest he needs in a few years.
"I don't relax," Mackie said on "Popcorn with Peter Travers." "I'm saving all of my relaxation for 55. Once I turn 55, I'm going to become Fat Mackie. Fifty-five, that's my cut-off."
Mackie said he plans to just be the fat dude on the couch. But it's a little tough to believe in that plan given Mackie's current schedule. Avengers fans already know he's set to take on the role of the new Captain America. He's also starring in season 2 of the Netflix series, "Altered Carbon." And today, his new film "The Banker," produced by and starring Mackie, hits theaters. He talked about how "The Banker" came together.
"For me, financial literacy is very important," Mackie, 41, told Travers. When he set out to produce the film, he wanted to have a like-minded actor on board for the project. He went to Samuel L. Jackson while the two were filming "Avengers: Infinity War."
"I'd brought a bunch of movies to Sam and he always said no. With this one, when he read it, he was blown away by it. He was so intrigued by the story of the financial freedom," Mackie said.
The film, inspired by true events, tells the story of two African American businessmen in the 1960s who skirt the law and run a business posing as janitors, while their white counterpart poses as the head of the company.
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Mackie is also delving into the sci-fi world, replacing Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi Kovacs in season 2 of Netflix's "Altered Carbon."
"When "Altered Carbon" came around, I was really blown away," Mackie said. "I really love sci-fi. I love futuristic fantasy. I saw the first season but I'd never read the source material. I'd never read the books. So when I learned about it, I was just intrigued. So I went back and watched the first season again. And I realized there was something different I could bring to the character."
He added, "I actually know Joel and there's not anyone I could be more different from than Joel. But great actor, great guy. What he did, I tried to bring into the second season, just put my own stank on it."
Be sure to watch the full interview with Peter Travers and Anthony Mackie in the video above.
