Anthony Mackie Video Interview On ‘Man On A Ledge’

The character I play, Mike Ackerman, basically the crux of the plot, the storyline, and the audience goes kind of the way he goes. I give the clues and the ideas to figure out the drama that is unfolding with Sam Worthington. So, I had never played a character like that, so I wanted to try and see if I was able to carry a suspense-thriller or if I would fall flat on my face. It was very important to me to live up to the name of the title of this film, 'Man On A Ledge.' It’s not two dudes on a ledge. It’s not a dude and his friend on a ledge. It’s one dude on a ledge. So, I was at, 'Wow, he was up on a ledge, supporting, but not on the ledge.'

When we started the film, I knew a bunch of people already. I knew Jamie Bell. I knew Sam just simply because of the 'Avatar'/'Hurt Locker' connection, when we were doing all the press and stuff during Oscar season. I knew Ed Burns a little bit simply because of New York. So, everybody was just really cool. It was a really easy, fun movie to work on. I don’t think we had one of those hard, unusually difficult days.

We shot on the 22nd floor of the Roosevelt Hotel here in Manhattan and we were out on a ledge on the 22nd floor of this hotel and I didn’t get that. I asked the director, I was like, 'Dude, we can shoot this standing on a dresser and people would believe us. Why are we up on the 22nd floor?' He was like, 'But I need it to be real for YOU.' I didn’t get it, but seeing the movie, I think it paid off really well. It was a good choice.

Spiders. I am bat-shit afraid of spiders. When we were doing 'Hurt Locker,' we were out in the Middle East and I came across a camel spider. Have you heard of these? Okay, a camel spider is the size of a small dog and they are the most vicious spiders you’ve ever come across. I mean, they’re huge. Their body is about that big [motions it] and after that, I was like, 'Okay, spiders must die.' So, every time I see a spider, I step on it. So, now my New Year’s resolution was not to kill a spider in 2012. But would you believe that the average person eats 3 spiders a year? Google it! How about that, Playboy? That’s a plug!

Well, 'Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter' is great, just simply because it’s an authentic character in a fictitious story. So, I tried to keep as true to the reality of the character as possible while allowing him to live the reality of the movie. So, I approached him just like I would approach anybody else, but knowing that he’s a historical figure, I tried to bring a little more gravitas to his being.