'Captain America' actor Anthony Mackie tells undrafted NFL player success is 'given,' not 'earned,' in confusing rant

Actor Anthony Mackie claimed that success is "given," not "earned," and depends on a selection process and the gift of opportunity.

Mackie's seemingly backward comments were delivered on the "Pivot Podcast," where he was speaking to former NFL players and hosts Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor.

The "Captain America" and "Twisted Metal" star said it was wrong to tell children to do the right thing and make good grades in order to become successful and that "hard work pays off" is a lie.

"That's not true. Success is given; it's not earned. Because you can be the most brilliant motherf**ker, if one person don't tap you, each one of y'all, there were people who could hit harder, who could catch better, who could run faster ... but somebody said 'you, you're the one,' and the other 50 behind you fell off."

The cameras then cut to reactions from Crowder and Clark, who both appeared shocked.

Mackie's advice would seemingly fly in the face of the careers of both players, as while Taylor was a highly touted first-round pick who enjoyed an accolade-filled NFL career, the road to success was a lot tougher for his co-hosts.

Clark went undrafted in 2002 until he was signed by the New York Giants and got the opportunity to play on special teams. He eventually won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being named to the Pro Bowl in 2011.

Crowder was a third-round draft pick who played five years with the Miami Dolphins.

In response, Crowder asked the actor how he went from an inexperienced performer (who he said did not portray rapper Tupac Shakur very well in a movie) to now being the lead in one of Marvel's biggest franchises as Captain America.

Interestingly, Mackie did not attribute his own success to being selected or having it given to him. Rather, he said his success was due to "diligence."

The actor then went into a lengthy story about his extreme levels of preparation for theater auditions and how he has seized opportunities in the casting phase throughout his career.

"Every audition I've been in, I do the audition, that's when it's like, 'Where you from? What you doing?' Now I know you're interested," Mackie recalled, explaining how he captivated casting directors and producers.

The actor ignored the idea that he was gifted success and instead lamented about how he is a master of his craft.

Anthony Mackie attends a "Captain America: Brave New World" screening in New York City. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

'We've been living through the death of the American male.'

Later in the podcast, Mackie spoke on masculinity and how he raises his sons in the face of weakened testosterone levels across the globe. The 46-year-old noted that he has always told his oldest son that he is the man of the house when he is away and to ensure that the house is secured when he goes to sleep.

"In the past 20 years, we've been living through the death of the American male," he claimed. "They have literally killed masculinity in our homes and our communities, for one reason or another, but I raise my boys to be young men."

Mackie argued that "American masculinity" is very different than in other countries and specifically noted how weak European men appear.

"You feel it when you go to Europe," he said.

Mackie added, "It's just that. That American male masculinity is something I think is very important for boys, because now, our little boys are afraid to fail, so they don't try."

Often speaking in support of traditional gender roles, Mackie reinforced his view by saying European men often baffle him with their "tight-ass pants."

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