"I choose not to be a part of your social reality" — Anthony Mackie issues response on refusing photos with fans

On June 18, American actor Anthony Mackie appeared on the Comedy Actors Roundtable organized by The Hollywood Reporter and opened up about his reluctance to click photos with his fans in public. When asked which "inevitable question" he was tired of hearing, he mentioned it was linked to taking pictures.

“There's been several experiences now where people have taken a picture with me and used them for ways that I don't deem the right way. So, because of that, I choose not to be a part of your social reality,” he explained.

Mackie also shed light on a fan interaction in Vancouver, where a woman wanted a picture with him and ended up puking on him. The other guests responded with laughter and mentioned that it was a "horrible" experience.

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Anthony Mackie urges fans to "respect" his decision when he says "no" to pictures

Anthony Mackie appeared for an actors' roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter on June 18 along with Bowen Yang, John Goodman, Kelsey Grammer, Ricky Martin, and Theo James. During the conversation, the host, Mikey O’Connell, asked the guests, "What's the inevitable question that you always get asked that you just never want to hear again?"

In response, Anthony Mackie said, "Mine is 'Take a picture,'" before adding:

“You don't know what social reality you are tying yourself to. You don't know what that person [is] going to use that picture for. Because of the Kardashians, we are kind of put in this reality where we are looked at as tools, as vessels, as opposed to artists.”

The 45-year-old went on to explain that there have been occasions where he has posed for photographs with fans but later found out that the images were not just used for keepsakes, but rather in "ways" he didn’t deem fit. As a result, he chooses to stay out of fans' "social reality."

“I have people tell me all the time, ‘Well, this is what you signed up for.’ I am like, ‘That's crazy.’ That's like telling a girl that because she put on a cute dress and went to a bar, she signed up for me to harass her all night. No. In this day and age, we literally learn that we have to respect everyone's ‘no.’ So, if I tell you ‘no,’ respect it, and there’s a reason for that,” he added.

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Anthony Mackie's interactions with fans

In March 2024, a woman named Laci Kole took to TikTok to speak about her interaction with Anthony Mackie at a New Orleans gas station. She claimed that she saw the Eagle Eye star inside a blacked-out truck with his windows rolled down and approached him respectfully and with an open mind to tell him how much she appreciated his work. However, he reportedly responded by saying, "No."

“I just wanted to be like, ‘Hey, Anthony Mackie, it's so nice to meet you. Your work is actually phenomenal. I am so glad I got to meet you. Have an amazing day.’ That was it. That was all I wanted,” the TikToker stated.

Laci Kole continued:

"But these f*cking celebrities make it seem like we are f*cking roaches and rats, b*tch. I am at the same gas station as you."

She then went on to call him the "rudest celebrity" and stated that he made "celebrities look bad."

Notably, in October 2023, a grandmother called out the Marvel star for refusing to take a picture with her grandson. As per HotNewHipHop, she said:

"No one ever believes when I say the new Black Captain America [Anthony Mackey] [sic] does not take pictures with kids."

The woman further mentioned that she understood celebrities "wanting their space" but found it unusual that an actor who plays a superhero treated kids this way.