Anthony Mackie recently joined Daveed Diggs for an episode of the quarantine era of Variety's Actors on Actors series.
Around 16 minutes into the discussion, which was conducted while honoring social distancing guidelines, the two spoke on the responsibility top-tier stars have when it comes to pushing for greater representation both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
"We definitely have the power and the ability to ask those questions," Mackie, who stars in the upcoming The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, said. "It really bothered me that I've done seven Marvel movies now [where] every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white. We've had one Black producer, his name was Nate Moore. He produced Black Panther. But then when you do Black Panther you have a Black director, Black producer, you have a Black costume designer, you have a Black stunt choreographer. And I'm like, that's more racist than anything else. Because if you only can hire the Black people for the Black movie, are you saying they're not good enough when you have a mostly white cast?"
Mackie elaborated further by explaining that his own personal "big push" for companies like Marvel and others is centered on hiring "the best person for the job." He also expressed support for a "divvy percentage" approach, as well as underlined the importance of leading actors like himself and Diggs working to "push the envelope" from within.
The Falcon and the Winter Solider, per Mackie, is like a "six our eight-hour movie." Though the series is currently still slated for an August release, it’s not clear whether COVID-19 will result in that date being pushed back. Diggs' Snowpiercer, meanwhile, premiered back in May on TNT and is currently still in the middle of the rollout for its first season.
