Anthony Mackie Claims Eminem Used His Actual Life Story to Mock Him in 8 Mile Rap Battle

8 Mile might have been a fictionalized version of Eminem’s life, but the rapper actually pulled from parts of Anthony Mackie’s story when freestyling in the beloved movie.

On the March 11 episode of Pivot Podcast, Mackie, 46, opened up about starring in the 2002 drama with Eminem, 52. Eminem played Detroit rapper Jimmy Smith Jr. a.k.a. B-Rabbit, while Mackie played Papa Doc, the leader of the Free World rap group.

“We’re doing the movie and you know Eminem is just such a brilliant dude,” the Captain America: Brave New World star said. “We’re on set one day, and he’s like, ‘Yo, it don’t make sense we’re beefing.’ ” Mackie agreed. Eminem told him, “I need something on you.” The pair talked for “two hours” and Mackie shared more about his life.

The next day, they were shooting the movie’s final rap battle, where B-Rabbit triumphs over Papa Doc and his friends. And when Eminem went to rap about Papa Doc — revealing that his real name is Clarence, he went to private school and his parents are happily married — Mackie realized, “You’re talking about me, you’re not talking about Clarence!” Eminem’s raps had “nothing to do with the character,” Mackie said, and he noted that his aggressive facial expressions in the scene were because Eminem was going after him.

“You’re an a——, Eminem!” Mackie joked. “I’m like, ‘I’m gonna fight this m———–!’ I’m like, ‘Yes my parents are still married!’ ”

Mackie graduated from Julliard’s drama division in 2001, and 8 Mile was his film debut. It was also Eminem’s first film. The movie costarred Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon and Kim Basinger, and the anthem “Lose Yourself” — which became a No. 1 hit — won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Eminem famously skipped the 2003 ceremony, however.

Mackie later starred in 2009’s Notorious as rapper Tupac Shakur. Studying at Julliard, he said on the podcast, let him have the flexibility to play any type of role he wanted.

In 2021, Mackie revealed on an episode of Hot Ones that his Julliard training also unexpectedly helped him with his rapping skills. “I find myself very lucky to have studied Shakespeare,” Mackie explained. “The idea of approaching a rapper from the perspective of an actor, you’re really just speaking in poems. I always said, one of the greatest rappers [who] ever lived was Shakespeare.”

In the episode, he said his career wouldn’t have been possible without his acting education. “If I didn’t have my training, I wouldn’t be able to play Tupac, Martin Luther King, Papa Doc, Falcon,” he said. “The training is just something that gives you an extra layer to stand on.” Mackie played Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2016 HBO film All the Way.