♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."
YOU KNOW MY FIRST GUEST AS FALCON IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC
UNIVERSE.
HIS NEW SERIES, "THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER," JUST HAD
ITS FINALE ON FRIDAY.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," ANTHONY MACKIE.
HEY, ANTHONY, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> WHAT'S UP, MAN?
HOW'S IT GOING?
>> Stephen: IT'S GOING OKAY.
WE HAVE NOT TALKED IN JUST OVER A YEAR.
YOU WERE THE SECOND-TO-LAST WEEK, NOT THE WEEK WE WENT OFF
THE AIR BUT THE WEEK RIGHT BEFORE THAT WAS WHEN WE SAW EACH
OTHER LAST.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
I WAS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT COVID IN AND SHUT EVERYBODY DOWN.
>> Stephen: THATCH.
MUCH APPRECIATED.
HOW HAS THE LAST YEAR BEEN FOR YOU?
HAVE YOU BEEN HUNKERED DOWN?
HAVE YOU BEEN JUST BASICALLY GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE AND
HOME?
>> NOT PRETTY MUCH.
I SPEND ALL MY TIME IN MY BACKYARD ANYWAY, SO IT WAS
PRETTY GREAT FOR ME.
MY FAMILY'S BEEN SAFE.
WE'VE ALL BEEN SEQUESTERED AND ISOLATED SO WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY
ISSUES.
BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW I LIVE MY LIFE ANYWAY.
PRETTY QUIET, A LOT OF GARDENING.
>> Stephen: THAT'S GOOD.
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STREAMING OUT
THERE.
I'VE ENJOYED "THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER."
IT'S BEEN A GREAT SERIES.
THE FINALE WAS FRIDAY.
WE KNEW IT WAS COMING.
WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN.
YOU HAVE A NEW TITLE.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL THE PEOPLE.
>> IN THE GREAT WORDS OF EDDIE MURPHY ON "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE,"
I'M CAPTAIN AMERICA, DAMN IT!
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WE KNOW YOU GET
THE SHIELD.
IT'S STILL SATISFYING WHEN IT HAPPENS.
WE HAVE A CLIP OF THE MOMENT WE SEE YOU FULL CAPTAIN'D OUT.
JIM.
>> KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!
SHARON, WHAT'S GOING ON ON YOUR END.
>> NOTHING, I'M QUIET.
WAIT, WHO ARE YOU?
>> I'M CAPTAIN AMERICA.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I WANT TO GET INTO
ABOUT SORT OF THE DECISION TO BECOME CAPTAIN AMERICA FOR THE
CHARACTER.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE WINGS.
THEY'RE VIB PR ANIUM, TOO?
>> 100%, THE BEST MONEY CAN BUY.
>> Stephen: BUT IT'S NOT ALL CGI.
WE KNEW THE VIBRATING WINGS WERE COMING WHEN THEY GOT TORN OFF
YOU HALFWAY THROUGH THE SERIES.
>> OF COURSE.
>> Stephen: NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT CGI
IS THAT THERE'S, AGAIN, ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH EPISODE MAYBE
FOUR, YOU START WORKING OUT LIKE MAD.
AS A CHARACTER, DID YOU HAVE TO WORK OUT LIKE MAD AS A PERSON?
I LOVE ASKING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO PLAY THESE SUPERHERO
PARTS IF IT WAS AN EXCUSE TO GET IN SHAPE.
I'M WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO CAST ME SO I HAVE A REASON TO GET IN
SHAPE.
SO I>> I WILL SAY THERE'S NO MUS SUIT UNDER MY SUIT.
THAT'S MY PRIZE.
SEVEN IN, I SAID I DON'T WANT A MUSCLE SUIT.
SO I HAD TO WORK OUT EVERY DAY ALL DAY.
>> Stephen: A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THIS, TO GET THE WEDGE.
>> TO GET THE DREETO, SHOULDERS TO WAIST!
>> Stephen: WE NEED MORE SHIRTLESS CAP BECAUSE THAT PUTS
THE ASSES IN THE SEATS.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S IN THE MOVIE THEATERS, IT'S DIFFERENT
BUT THIS IS A SHOW FOR DISNEY PLUS.
YOU CAN'T BE WALKING AROUND IN BOXER BRIEFS ON DISNEY PLUS.
>> Stephen: OU DROP A COUPLE OF SALTY WORDS IN THIS, THOUGH.
( LAUGHTER ) WHEN YOU WERE ON THE SHOW A YEAR
AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THERE BEING A
BLACK CAPTAIN AMERICA, AND ESPECIALLY EPISODE FIVE OF THIS
RUN, HAS A REALLY GREAT EXPLORATION OF WHAT THAT MIGHT
MEAN.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU NOW THAT YOU ARE CAPTAIN AMERICA,
YOU KNOW, TO BE THE FIRST BLACK CAPTAIN AMERICA?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING.
IT'S HUMBLING, REALLY.
IT DIDN'T HIT ME UNTIL THE SHOW CAME TO CONCLUSION FRIDAY, AND I
WATCHED IT WITH MY BOYS, AND IT'S REALLY -- THERE ARE NO
WORDS TO EXPLAIN IT.
I REMEMBER IT WAS 2008 WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO BROOKLYN AND I
WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND I SAW THIS LITTLE KID AND HE HAD
TAKEN A CEREAL BOX AND CUT EYES AND PUT THE CEREAL BOX ON HIS
HEAD AND SPRAY PAINTED IT BLUE AND PUT AN A ON IT.
I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
HE SAID, I'M FIGHTING BAD GUYS, I'M CAPTAIN AMERICA.
AND TO SEE THAT KID AND THINK ALMOST 13 YEARS LATER WHERE I AM
IN THE UNIVERSE IT'S HUMBLING AND EXCITING AT THE SAME TIME
BECAUSE THERE IS THAT SIGNIFICANCE TO LITTLE KIDS
AROUND THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: IT'S LIKE BEING THE FIRST BLACK SUPERMAN, YOU
KNOW.
IT'S LIKE BEING THE BEST THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER.
>> YEAH, IT'S LIKE BEING THE FIRST WHITE BASKETBALL PLAYER,
IT'S LIKE BEING LARRY BIRD.
>> Stephen: WE'LL GET ONE, ONE DAY.
( LAUGHTER ) NOW, I HAVE, OH, BY THE WAY, ARE
YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IMPRESSED?
DO YOU GET A LITTLE MORE RESPECT WITH THE TEXT CHAIN NOW?
>> NOT AT ALL, MAN.
I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THEIR GOAL IS TO
KEEP ME HUMBLE, SO THE TEXTS THAT -- LIKE, MY FRIENDS, WE
HAVE, LIKE, 20 OF US ON A CHAIN, AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS IS, LIKE,
YO, YOU'VE GOT TO BE THE UGLIEST CAPTAIN AMERICA.
( LAUGHTER ) AND THEN, LAST WEEK, SO I GUESS,
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENED IN ATLANTA WHERE THERE'S BEEN A
SHORTAGE OF CHICKEN WINGS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY -- LEMON
PEPPER, MAN, THEY LOVE LEMON PEPPER HERE IN ATLANTA.
SO MY BOY TEXTS ME AND SAYS, IFO YOU'RE CAPTAIN AMERICA, DAMN IT,
YOU HAVE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF WINGS IN ATLANTA SO YOU NEED TO COME
THROUGH AND BRING THE WINGS.
>> Stephen: OR THEY'LL DEEP FRY YOUR VIBRANIUM AND ADD SOME
BUFFALO SAUCE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU'RE FROM
NEW ORLEANS, RIGHT?
>> BORN AND RAISED.
>> Stephen: IS THAT CANON TO THE CHARACTER OR DOES IT FIT
YOUR PERSONAL BACK STORY, YOUR OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS ABOUT HOME
THAT, YOU KNOW, FALCON'S HOME IS IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA?
>> THAT WAS ALL MALCOLM SPELLMAN OUR WRITER.
FALCON HAS HAD MANY DIFFERENT INCARNATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
COURSE OF THE COMIC BOOK AND NOW IN THE MOVIE.
HE WAS RECONTEXTUALIZED EVERY TIME HE WAS BROUGHT BACK INTO
THE ECONOMIC BOOK UNIVERSE.
SO WITH THIS, MALCOLM WANTED TO MAKE IT MORE OF MY EXPERIENCE,
MORE OF MY VOICE SO I COULD RELATE TO THE CHARACTER MORE,
SINCE HE HAD BASICALLY A BLANK CANVAS TO PLAY WITH.
SO HE GAVE ME, LIKE, LITTLE NUGGETS OF MY, LIKE, PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE AND PUT IT IN THERE TO MAKE ME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH
THE CHARACTER.
>> Stephen: WELL, I'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD
YOU HAVE NOT SEEN YET, BUT IT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
THIS IS YOUR ACTION FIGURE -- >> NO!
SHUT UP!
>> Stephen: THERE IS -- THERE YOU ARE.
I'M LEAVING THIS ONE IN THE BOX TO KEEP IT CHERRY, BUT HERE WE
GO.
>> WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW, I WORK IN TV.
THEY GIVE ME THINGS.
THE WINGS ARE FOLDABLE.
THE WINGS ARE FOLDABLE LIKE THIS.
>> THAT'S DOPE.
>> Stephen: THE ARMS, YOU CAN WHACK SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
I THINK THIS COMES OFF.
LET'S GET A GOOD SHOT HERE.
>> LET ME SEE.
LOOKS MORE LIKE JAMIE FOXX THAN ME.
( LAUGHTER ) THAT'S DOPE.
>> Stephen: THAT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
>> THAT'S DOPE, MAN.
>> Stephen: THAT FEELS GOOD.
YEAH, THAT'S AMAZING.
I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THOSE.
>> Stephen: WELL, THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER IS
STREAMING NOW ON DISNEY PLUS.
ANTHONY MACKIE, EVERYBODY.
BACK WITH THE HOST OF NPR'S "FRESH AIR," TERRY GROSS.
THANKS, ANTHONY.
♪♪♪