Anthony Mackie Still Can’t Get Over What One Co-Star Did to Him

Anthony Mackie is one of the faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he still looks back at some of his earlier projects. Of course, everyone remembers Mackie’s turn as Papa Doc, aka Clarence, in 8 Mile. Well, it turns out Eminem pulled a fast one on Mackie during shooting.

Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was already a household name in the early 2000s, so much so that Universal greenlit a movie loosely based on his life. In 8 Mile, Eminem played Jimmy Smith Jr., aka B-Rabbit, an up-and-coming battle rapper who struggled to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the Free World crew, led by Papa Doc, had all kinds of resources and attempted to thwart B-Rabbit at every turn.

This conflict culminated in a final rap battle that saw B-Rabbit take on the members of the Free World. He took them out one by one with his unique rhymes but saved Papa Doc for last. The final battle between Papa Doc and B-Rabbit is one of the greatest moments in cinematic history, but, as Mackie revealed, it wasn’t Clarence that Eminem was insulting.

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During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, Mackie revealed that, during the production of 8 Mile, Eminem had a hard time wrapping his head around the beef between Papa Doc and B-Rabbit. This took him back to the drawing board, and he reached out to Mackie to learn more about him. They talked for hours, and when they went to shoot the rap battle scene the next day, Eminem had a new approach.

“You’re talking about me; you’re not talking about Clarence,” Mackie said jokingly. “This has nothing to do with the character. You’re an a**hole, Eminem. I want to fight this motherf**ker.”

Mackie was laughing during the entire story and took time to praise Eminem for his decision to use his real-life against him. It may not have been what the powers that be intended going in, but it created a moment that movie buffs and rap fans will never forget. The revelation also means that Mackie is one of very few individuals to go up against Eminem and have his career stay afloat enough to tell the tale.

There’s even an argument to be made that Mackie getting roasted helped his career reach new heights. After all, 8 Mile was his first film role, and in the years since he played Papa Doc, he’s become the new Captain America and has plenty of other major projects under his belt, including the Oscar-winning Hurt Locker and Twisted Metal.