Quotes from Anthony Mackie


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I got a job as soon as I graduated from school. I always wanted to bartend because I love listening to people and how awful their lives are.


The great thing about it is, in Hollywood, certain people are very good at keeping their lives and who they are very private. I've never met anybody as down to earth and cool in Hollywood than Matt Damon.


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.


I enjoy where I am and I don't have a problem with being Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci, Don Cheadle, or Jeffrey Wright. They're not the lead of every movie they're in, but every time you see them they're really good.


I did this movie with Spike Lee called 'Sucker Free City,' and that would have to be my favorite role by far. It was just so much fun to work with Spike and shoot in San Francisco.


Everybody knows when you've got a role in a Spike Lee movie, you're gonna blow up. But I happen to be the only person who's had the lead in the two Spike Lee movies nobody saw.


Do you want to be an actor, or do you want to be a celebrity? I made that decision when I went to Juilliard. I wanted to be an actor. So, if I get the opportunity to be an actor and do some cool, fun and interesting projects, I'm going to do that.


Acting is the only medium were people think they can just stand up and do it because they can say lines, but that is not so much the case. You have to study styles and techniques.


With all the movies I've done, I still get recognized from my episode of 'Law & Order' more than anything else. It never fails.


There was this rapper from New Orleans, Mystikal, who when I hear his music, I hear myself. Whenever I wanna get hyped, I put on Mystikal.


There are a lot of limitations and stigmas that are placed on young actors, specifically young black actors.


The stage is my first love.


Money always changes the game, when you let a dollar come between you and your friends, your cohorts.


Instead of becoming an engineer like my brother, I moved to New York to be an actor.


If you want to buy a good movie, you'll buy a good movie. If you don't want to buy a good movie, you'll buy a 'Twilight' movie.


I just don't understand how people can get so caught up in having their picture taken.


You never see girls running after engineers.


Every time I get mad, I grab my hammer and make a bookshelf or something.


Art-school girls are very nice.


So I feel like success is opportunity plus preparation, so work begets work, and as long as you're prepared it's going to continue to come your way.