Anthony Mackie is currently riding (or flying) high within the Hollywood landscape. He’s one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s biggest stars, and he leads the Twisted Metal TV series. One would think that an actor of his status would be living it up in Tinseltown, but he actually left the city for his hometown of New Orleans. In doing so, he follows in the footsteps of another actor who moved to his old stomping grounds, Matthew McConaughey. Now, Mackie is explaining why he decided to make the change.
On the surface, the 8 Mile veteran’s reasoning for making his home in Louisiana might seem obvious. The Big Easy is where he spent his formative years, though there’s a bit more to it than that. While promoting the recently released Captain America: Brave New World, the actor sat down with ET for a candid interview in the city itself. It was during the chat that the A-lister candidly explained how his children factored into his decision to move in 2008:
I was ready to start a family, and I wanted my kids to experience live music from their living room. Like New Orleans – I remember, as a kid, in my neighborhood, was one of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes. And, every year, for Super Sunday, you would hear the calls coming out from the call boys. And, at sunrise, you would just hear all these calls coming from around the city.
Quite frankly, it’s hard to argue against the notion that NOLA is one of the most unique places in the US. The lively town is known for its southern comforts, including the flavorful food (like scrumptious gumbo) and joyful music. Of course, I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention the beloved holiday that is Mardi Gras, which draws plenty of tourists to the city. All in all, it seems Anthony Mackie – who has four sons – wants to give his kids an experience that few others have, and he certainly paints a great picture of the town:
I wanted my boys to experience that. It’s the only city in the world where you’ll see somebody walking down the street, practicing their trombone on their way to school. And I wanted that for my kids.
There are plenty of stars who don’t actually live in Hollywood, from Florence Pugh to Glen Powell. Funny enough, it was advice from Matthew McConaughey that convinced Powell to relocate to his own home state of Texas. McConaughey is also a native Texan, who – along with wife Camila Alves – purchased a home in the Lone Star state in 2012 for them and their three kids. McConaughey said his choice to leave LA was partially influenced by the fact that he was eventually feeling boxed into rom-com roles and left La La Land to maintain a greater level of creative autonomy.
Like the Dazed and Confused icon, Anthony Mackie doesn’t seem to regret his move. He’s been raking in roles, despite not actually living in Los Angeles. His latest film is the 2025 movie schedule release The Electric State, and Twisted Metal Season 2 is set to return sometime this year. Mackie is also gearing up for production on the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, which are filming in London. Mackie certainly has the best of both worlds – a thriving career as well as a unique place to call home for him and his kids.
You can check out Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson in Captain America: Brave New World, which is currently playing in theaters. Also, Netflix subscription holders will be able to stream The Electric State, starting on March 7.
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