Anthony Mackie and Ryan Gosling have been two top names in the Hollywood industry. While the two have also worked together, the Marvel actor claimed that Gosling gained popularity because of him.
In his conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the actor took responsibility for making him famous by working with the Canadian native in the 2006 film Half Nelson. In the video segment of the interview, Mackie was shown photos of various celebrities and was asked to break down the roles they played with the actors.
As the video progressed, a photo of Ryan Gosling appeared and the actor said, “I made this guy famous.” She further revealed that she played her first onscreen role opposite the Barbie actor in the 2006 film.
He added, “We did their first film together. Did anyone care? That was a nice memory.” As for Half Nelson, Gosling played a middle school teacher who is dealing with drug problems. Mackie played Frank, the lead’s friend.
While the MCU actor’s claims may be partially true, the Fall Guy actor has already played lead roles in major films like The Notebook, released in 2004, and Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington.
Also read: Happy Birthday Anthony Mackie: Revisiting Sam Wilson’s Top 10 Moments as the MCU Star Turns 46
Speaking about the importance of Half Nelson in Gosling’s career, the Captain America actor revealed that the film gave the Canadian native his first critically acclaimed role as well as his first Oscar nomination.
Furthermore, as McKee received his Half Nelson poster, he added, “I’ve made a lot of people famous.” He continues, recalling a story from the film set, “A cat comes – no one knew where this cat was from; no one checked this cat; no one sterilized this cat. Where’s this cat from? Ryan picks up the cat, pats it, and starts rubbing the cat.”
Recalling her reaction to the incident, Mackie revealed, “That cat was so bad. She was like Maggie. She looked like a creature in the ‘Thriller’ video with Michael Jackson. She walked like that He picked it up, man, it’s a true story!
On the work front, Anthony Mackie is set to return to the big screen as Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World. This film will hit theaters in 2025.
Also read: ‘I love my city’: Captain America 4 star Anthony Mackie opens up about his real-life humanitarian work
