Plot twist.
Anthony Mackie revealed on “The Pivot Podcast” Tuesday that his life story was used by Eminem as inspiration for their infamous rap battle at the end of “8 Mile.”
“We’re on set one day, and he’s like, ‘Yo, it doesn’t make sense that we’re beefing,’” Mackie, 46, recalled. “I was like, ‘Right.’ He was like, ‘I need something on you.’”
Anthony Mackie on “The Pivot Podcast.”The Pivot/YouTube
Anthony Mackie talking about “8 Mile.”The Pivot/YouTube
Mackie, who played Clarence “Papa” Doc in the 2002 film, said that he and Eminem “talked for two hours” about his life growing up in New Orleans and attending private school.
Eminem at the 2020 Oscars.ABC via Getty Images
“I was like, ‘Alright man, I’ll see you later.’ I go to the casino,” Mackie said. “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. This has nothing to do with the character.”‘
Mackie said he also thought to himself at the time, “You’re an a–hole, Eminem. I wanna fight this motherf—er. I’m like, yes, my parents are still married.”
Eminem in “8 Mile.”©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Mekhi Phifer, Eminem, Evan Jones and De’Angelo Wilson in “8 Mile.”©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
“8 Mile” marked both Mackie and Eminem’s film debuts. The Curtis Hanson-directed movie features elements of Eminem’s real-life journey as a Detroit rapper who makes it big in hip hop.
The film also stars Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon and Kim Basinger. Eminem’s song in the film, “Lose Yourself,” won an Oscar.
Eminem and Brittany Murphy in “8 Mile.”©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Mackie previously spoke about how Eminem used his life story in the rap battle on “The Rich Eisen Show” in 2021.
“There was this one day, we were sitting on the set and Eminem comes over and he’s like ‘what’s up man, I was reading a script and there is no reason for me not to like you, you are cool dude, I like you’ and then I said ‘I like you too.’ And then he was like ‘Cool, so you don’t mind if I add some stuff in the script about you? I was like ‘About me or the character?’ He’s like ‘no, no just some character stuff’. I’m like, ‘yeah no problem,’” Mackie recalled.
Anthony Mackie appears on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” in February 2025.Getty Images
Eminem performing at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.Billboard via Getty Images
Eminem in “8 Mile.”©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
“So before the entire 8 Mile final battle, he googles me and learns about me and all that stuff he basically makes fun of me as Papa Doc,” Mackie added. “And then I’m like ‘That’s a little personal Mr. Marshall… I grew up in a nice house, my parents were nice to me, why are you making fun of me?’”
On an episode of “Hot Ones” in 2021, Mackie said that learning Shakespeare helped him do the rap battle.
“I find myself very lucky to have studied Shakespeare,” the “Captain America: Brave New World” star said. “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 ever lived was Shakespeare.”
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