-Welcome back to the show. -Thank you, sir.
-It's great to be here. -Congratulations on this,
uh, on this new show.
Um, this is an interesting show, Altered Carbon,
because it's a show about people
who can basically shape-shift and go into other bodies.
It's almost like they're traveling through souls
and-and human experiences.
So, you are playing a character
that we know from the first season,
but you are new.
But now you're playing someone who's being someone
who was played by someone else.
How do you prepare for that as an actor?
You got... Very good!
-Yes! -(laughs)
So, I started off as Asian.
Then I was white. Now I'm black.
So, it's, uh, it's amazing. It's, uh...
Basically, the story line, if you didn't see season one,
is they created these carbon chips.
You're able to put your soul and your memory
-into these chips. -Right.
And the bodies are considered sleeves.
So, from planet to planet,
solar system to solar system,
if you can pay enough,
you can have an upgraded, better sleeve.
-Right. -Or if you want a security guard who's...
Like, in this season,
I'm a gadget wizard, kung fu, karate killer
with magnetic, killer style, so...
(laughter)
That's... Watch. When you're watching,
you're gonna say, "That dude got magnetic, killer style."
So, they took my carbon soul
and put it into me
-and here I am. -Right.
So, when you are playing a character like this--
'cause this world is completely unique--
are you trying to think of yourself as the Asian person
who was a white person and who's now a black person?
Or are you a black person who-who thinks
was a previous white person who was an Asian person?
You know what, this is a very good question, by the way.
Um, no. So, when you watched-- when I watched the first season,
I saw what Will and, uh, Joel were doing.
They had a certain through line
of energy of charisma with this character.
-So I had to take that into the second season. -Right.
But, in the same way, I had to put my own funk on it.
-Right. -You know? 'Cause they could have their style,
you know, that subtlety, that aggression,
but this is a love story. This is Romeo and Juliet.
This is Shakespearean, man.
-So I had to bring that. -People have said that about the show.
-Yes. -People-people said-- I-I read some of the reviews
that really captured your performance,
which-which I found really flattering.
They-they said, "Anthony Mackie, we know him as the badass.
-We know him as the kung fu master guy." -Very angry. Yes.
Yes, fighting. And the action sequences are amazing.
-I fight a lot. -Right.
But what people enjoyed seeing was the softer side of you,
-the romantic. -I am a heartless romantic.
-I am. I am. -Wait, did you say "heartless"?
(laughter)
-Yes! Right. No, no! No! No! -(laughing)
(cheering and applause)
Yes! I am a heartless romantic,
because I do not apologize for it!
There is no inhibition in my romantices!
-Oh! -I gave myself the best Valentine's Day I've ever had.
-You-you-- That sounds, uh, interesting. -Hey, hey.
It's 2020, baby. It's 2020.
You-you know what? I feel like you are that person though.
'Cause I-I remember the-the last time I hung out with you
in person, it was after a Justin Timberlake concert.
Justin Timberlake. It was a good time. It was a good time.
And this is one of the more-- the more interesting
conversations I've had with a person.
So, it's a loud environment, right?
And-and I see Anthony there, and I'm like,
"Oh, man. Nice to see you. How are things going?
How's everything going?" And then he's like, "It's great.
Uh, I'm-I'm-- I just finished building a house!"
And then I was like, "I'm sorry?" 'Cause it's loud.
You don't think a person said, "I built a house."
So I was like, "I'm-I'm sorry, what did you say?"
And he's like, "I built a house! The wood and the doors
and the..." And I was like, "Is this a metaphor
-for Hollywood and your career?" -(laughing)
But you-you actually build houses
-for fun. -Yeah. Yeah.
Like, with your hands.
Yeah.
-Ex-Explain. -There's-there's something amazing--
-Like, so I'm from New Orleans, and... -(whooping)
Best city in the world. 504.
Slow your roll. Recognize the real.
So...
Too black too fast. I'm sorry.
-So... -(laughter)
-(clapping) -Sorry.
Back up, back up, back up.
So, after Katrina,
the devastation of New Orleans was horrific.
And there was so much empty space.
So much-- So many things were washed away.
Like, I don't-- My--
I do not exist before 16 years old.
-'Cause everything is gone. -Wow.
So, now, when I see a piece of grass,
I-I think of the family that was there,
the history that was there, the house that was there.
So, I go, and I buy that grass.
And, I build a house on that grass,
so that I can afford a family affordable housing...
-(applause and cheering) -...and the opportunity
to live in a great neighborhood.
I don't want all the money from Sara Lee.
I just want the money from the moon pie.
-(laughter) -You can get the honey bun.
That's amazing, I-I-I genuinely didn't...
-Yeah. -I thought you just built houses for fun.
-No, no, no, no, no. -But, I mean, that's-that's,
that's a beautiful reason to build houses,
but is there a reason you do it yourself?
Well, 'cause I'm a man.
(laughter)
Right?
(applause and cheering)
I mean, I don't know, I have, I have a truck
and I have tools and I have a tool belt and I have a hammer.
And I got, like, tools!
And, then there's these big-old stores
with a bunch of tools in them.
So, I go to the store, and I'm like, "What is that jigsaw bl--?
I need that, I need a bandsaw in my garage."
-I have on-- -And, then, you go to the pawn shop,
and every tool you need is 50% off!
(laughter)
That's crazy!
Let me, let me get this straight though, like...
you-you-you have this passion,
but it had to have come from somewhere though.
-Mm-hmm. -Like, I've, 'cause I've had a truck before in life,
-I've had tools, -Mm-hmm.
I've once worn a tool belt.
At no point did I say, "Yeah, I'm gonna go build a house."
-(laughing) -It had to have come from somewhere.
No, it came from my dad.
My dad was a, uh, contractor.
My dad, you know, with his eighth-grade education,
raised six kids in a house
that, you know, that my mama built.
-Right. -You know, and, uh, I was fortunate enough
to grow up in a house that my dad built.
And, the largest levee break during Katrina
was in my dad's backyard.
And, um, ever since, like, growing up in that house,
you know, when everything went wrong,
and the economy went crazy and everything fell apart,
every morning, my dad woke up and said,
"They can take everything they want.
"They can take the cars, they can take everything.
-They ain't taking this house." -Wow.
And it taught me the importance of having a home.
You know, like... to-to use the word "home,"
you know, there-there's nothing,
there's nothing that compares to that.
There's, that's why I live in New Orleans, 'cause...
I lived in New York for 12 years-- I loved it.
I did New York the way it'll never be done again!
I've been fortunate enough to live in, I would say
90% of the best cities in the world,
but I moved back to New Orleans, 'cause that's my home.
Like, I can sit on my porch with a cup of coffee,
and see a dude walking down the street practicing his trombone.
No other city in the world can you see that.
-That's beautiful. -I can throw a rock
and hit a great trumpet player.
-(laughter) -(audience clapping)
That is the best slogan for New Orleans
-I've ever heard in my life. -(laughing)
Come to New Orleans, you can...
BOTH: ..throw a rock, and hit a great trumpet player!
My man, you are a superhero in real life,
as well as in the shows and the movies.
-Thank you so much for being here. -Thank you, man.
-I appreciate it. -Season two of Altered Carbon
will be available on Netflix February 27.
Anthony Mackie, everybody!