Anthony Mackie is on a mission to raise his sons to be strong, respectful men—no matter how high his Hollywood career takes him.
The Captain America: Brave New World star recently opened up about his approach to fatherhood, sharing the values and discipline he’s instilling in his four sons, whom he shares with ex-wife Sheletta Chapital.
Appearing on The Pivot podcast, Mackie, 46, opened up about his Hollywood fame and keeping his children grounded.
“I keep my boys humble. Like my boys have never had a pair of Jordans. My boys don’t do all that internet fly s—,” he said.
For Mackie, it’s about making sure his kids grow up with respect and discipline, regardless of how big his career gets.
“I could be the biggest star in the world. Do not let me catch you being stupid. My oldest gets it — my 15-year-old. He tell the other ones, he’s like, ‘Yo, don’t make Dad mad,’ ” Mackie added. “Once you get one that’s right, he’s going to straighten the other ones out.”
In his conversation with hosts Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, Mackie also expressed his concerns about the changing landscape of masculinity. He believes traditional masculinity has been weakened over the years, but he’s committed to raising his boys to become strong, responsible men.
“So, it is just that thing of in the past 20 years, we’ve been living through the death of the American male. They have literally killed masculinity in our homes, in our communities for one reason or another,” he said. “But I raise my boys to be young men.”
Mackie explained how he has raised his sons to be respectful and take care of others, especially their mother. “Yes ma’am, no sir, no ma’am, they will always say thank you, they will always open a door for a lady, they will always make sure that their mother is taken care and provided for. They will always be men, and that’s always since they were two years old.”
He continued to emphasize the importance of responsibility, particularly when it comes to his eldest son. “Every time I left for a job, I tell my 15-year-old, ‘You’re the man of the house. You make sure these doors are locked. Every night this alarm is on. You text me or you call me every night before you go to bed and you wake up.’”
