Anthony Mackie was born on September 23, 1978, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Martha Gordon and Willie Mackie Sr., who owned a local roofing business. He began his acting journey on the stages of New York City and quickly gained recognition for his compelling performances in both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, notably winning an Obie Award in 2002 for his role in Carl Hancock Rux’s play "Talk".

He made his feature film debut in Eminem’s 2002 movie "8 Mile," playing the rapper Papa Doc, and soon secured his first starring role in the independent film "Brother to Brother" (2004), which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor.

The early and mid-2000s saw Mackie making significant appearances in major films, including "Million Dollar Baby" (2004), "Half Nelson" (2006), "We Are Marshall" (2006), and "She Hate Me" (2004). He earned further critical acclaim for his performance in the Oscar-winning movie "The Hurt Locker" (2008), receiving nominations for Best Supporting Actor at both the Independent Spirit Awards and the African-American Film Critics Association Awards.

He demonstrated his range by portraying iconic figures such as Tupac Shakur in "Notorious" (2009) and Martin Luther King Jr. in HBO’s "All the Way" (2016). His dedication to theater continued, with acclaimed roles in August Wilson’s plays at the Kennedy Center and star turns on Broadway, including in "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom" and "A Behanding in Spokane" opposite Christopher Walken.

Anthony Mackie achieved international fame when he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sam Wilson/The Falcon, debuting in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014). He reprised this heroic role in several Marvel films, such as "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015), "Ant-Man" (2015), "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019).

In 2021, he starred as the lead in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," which saw his character take up the mantle of Captain America, and he is set to continue the role in "Captain America: Brave New World".

Beyond his superhero legacy, he played leading roles in projects such as Netflix’s "Altered Carbon" (2020), Peacock’s "Twisted Metal" (2023–present), and Apple TV+’s "The Studio" (2025), earning his first Primetime Emmy nomination.

In his personal life, Mackie married Sheletta Chapital in 2014, but the couple divorced in 2018 and they share four children.