A Turkish immigrant shared his warm interaction withCaptain America: Brave New Worldstar Anthony Mackie online. The fan was impressed with how the Marvel star showed him he was a man of his word.
Mackie, 45, made his acting debut in Curtis Hanson’s drama movie8 Milealongside Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger, and Michael Shannon in 2002. However, his breakthrough role was playing Sergeant JT Sanborn in the critically acclaimed filmThe Hurt Locker, which earned him several award nominations and solidified his acting career. In 2014, he made his Marvel debut as Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon, inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.He took the mantle of being the newCaptain Americafrom Chris Evans afterAvengers: Endgame.Mackie is headlining Marvel’sCaptain America: Brave New Worldand one fan shares an unforgettable interaction with the actor on Reddit.
Reddit userDifficult-Season3600, a Turkish immigrant living in Atlanta, is working as a part-time valet in a nightclub. He recounted seeing an Aston Martin SUV pulling up to the nightclub one weekend and saw a familiar face getting out of the car, it was Mackie. He acted professionally and took the actor’s car to the parking lot. However, he remembered his nephew and wanted to be a “cool uncle,” so he waited for Mackie to give him his car back and they chatted on the sidewalk. The Reddit user said Mackie mentioned he had visited Turkey before and had a wonderful time there. The fan asked for a photo for his nephew, buttheCaptain Americastar"politely declined." However, Mackie asked him to write the name of his nephew on the back of the valet ticket because he would bring something for him next week. Despite being rejected for a photo, the fan felt they had a great interaction, writing:
These people are educated, with managers and PR people working for them. I thought he handled me professionally and didn’t set any expectations. But he hadn’t broken my heart either. It was a very pleasant conversation.
Their first interaction happened on a Sunday, and on Friday, Mackie showed up again at the nightclub in the same car. When they met, theCaptain America: Civil Warstar handed him a yellow envelope and inside it was a photo of Mackie as Falcon with his nephew’s name and the celebrity’s signature. The fan went crazy and told Mackie, “You are a man of your word.” Mackie reached out his hand for a handshake, but the fan said, “Forget about shaking hands now,” and hugged the celebrity. The fan concluded his message by expressing gratitude to the Marvel actor and explaining that his nephew’s name, “Yigit,” means “Hero, Brave Person” in Turkish.
He wrote:
“Thank you, Mackie. I have a very rich native language and am fluent in it, but I can’t find the words to express my gratitude and admiration for your humanity.”
The fan’s interaction with Mackie only showed how the actorembodied his superhero character. In the MCU, Sam is a former soldier who launched a support group for servicemen with PTSD, and he is relaxed, honest, and emotionally grounded. He is also fun and has a great sense of humor. Sam even made the audience laugh inCaptain America: The Winter Soldierwhen he said, “Don’t look at me, I do what he does, just slower,” referring to Evans' Steve Rogers. Mackie is visibly living up to the name ofCaptain America. Also, he is famous for declining photos, but it was impressive how he offered an alternative. When Mackie rejected the idea of a selfie with the fan, he reportedly suggested bringing a photo with his signature. The story was warm and awesome and left many reading it feel good. Just like the Reddit user, fans should be lenient and not entitled to celebrities just because they are public figures. Also, they are people too and are not always in the mood to meet and greet individuals they do not know, especially during private outings or after long hours of filming. Fans should not take bad encounters personally. Celebrities are just like ordinary people, only that they are in the spotlight and their actions are magnified.
