Anthony Mackie speaks onstage during the “Captain America: Brave New World” DC Tour Stop at U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and Heritage Center on February 12, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Actor Anthony Mackie probably isn't buying his kids the latest designer clothes or $200 sneakers, even though he has the means to do so.
"I keep my boys humble. Like, my boys have never had a pair of Jordans. My boys don't do all that internet fly s---. I could be the biggest star in the world. Do not let me catch you being stupid," Mackie said during a recent podcast episode of "The Pivot."
The 46-year-old "Captain America: Brave New World" star doesn't want his four sons to value money and material goods over character, he said. Mackie started teaching each of his kids to be well-mannered and responsible at age 2, he added.
"I raise my boys to be young men ... they will always be respectful," said Mackie. "They will always say, 'Yes ma'am. No ma'am.' They will always say 'Thank you.' They will always open the door for a lady. They will always make sure that their mother is taken care of and provided for."
Mackie's parenting style echoes his own upbringing: He was born in New Orleans as the youngest of six kids. His father was a carpenter with a roofing business who dropped out of 8th grade to pick cotton with his grandfather, Mackie said at Morehouse College last month.
As a teenager, he worked for his father's business during the summers. He wants his kids to develop similar values and work ethics, he said on the podcast.
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"I try to keep my boys outside of [my celebrity]. I don't want my boys affected by it, or even acknowledge the idea of what Hollywood is and what it means to the general populace," he said. "I want them to find their own path."
His parenting approach echoes comments made by some other celebrities who've said they wanted their children to develop strong work ethics, despite their wealth.
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Barbara Corcoran, a self-made real estate millionaire and co-star of ABC's "Shark Tank," insisted that her kids work summer jobs and save their money, she wrote in a December 2024 Q&A to her Patreon community, "Barbara in Your Pocket."
Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur and fellow "Shark Tank" panelist, also expects his children to earn their success, rather than relying on his money and status to get ahead in life. "[My wife and I] are really consistent in that, 'You have to accomplish these things on your own,'" he told NBC's "Today" in 2022. "You don't want to be 'Mark Cuban's son or daughter' your entire life."
Similarly, actor Ben Affleck and his 13-year-old son Samuel recently attended a sneaker convention and saw a pair of $6,000 Dior Air Jordan 1 sneakers. "They're tough!" Samuel said in a video posted to the convention's TikTok. Affleck's response: "That's a lot of lawns you've got to mow there."
Affleck later told Access Hollywood: "He's like 'We have the money.' I'm like, 'I have the money. You're broke!'"
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