Is Anthony Mackie The Next Denzel?

Anthony Mackie stars in Man on a Ledge, a thriller opening today to lackluster reviews. In the movie, Sam Worthington stars as a prison escapee willing to gamble his life in a daredevil attempt to distract from a plot to nab the jewel that will prove his innocence by… you guessed it: standing on a ledge. It is just this type of predictability that has led CBS News to call the film “a limp high-wire act.”

Man on a Ledge might not set millions of hearts racing as was likely intended, but it is still an exciting career move for an acting veteran who has steadily worked since his motion picture debut in 8 Mile (2002). Mackie has remained on the short list of black actors steadily working since playing the villain in Eminem’s fictionalized biopic — appearing frequently in high profile films such as 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate — but has yet to make it to leading man status.

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