Michael Mackie has the gift of gab. The Des Moines native has spent more than three decades as a celebrity interviewer, and even as I interview him for this article, it’s obvious he’s the expert.
“This might be an annoying question, but… ” I begin, trying to change subjects mid-interview. Mackie cuts me off.
“Don’t ever negate a question before you ask it,” he says. “And don’t add a transition. That already gives me pause. An interview should be a conversation.”
I’m inclined to listen to the man. I’ve been interviewing chefs and other people of influence in Kansas City for about five years; Mackie has been interviewing some of the world’s most recognizable faces—Jennifer Lopez, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Diaz and John Travolta, to name a few—for over 30. He reflects on those experiences in his recently released book, You Have Four Minutes: My Life as an Unlikely Celebrity Interviewer.
The book humorously recalls Mackie’s early days working at a TV station that primarily covered crime and politics. With no interview experience and no one else interested in speaking with the celebrity scheduled that day, Mackie found himself face-to-face with music and comedy legend Jo Anne Worley. The result, he says, was an interview so bad it “still gives me PTSD.” Still, it opened the door and put his disarmingly chatty nature to use.
“Since birth, I’ve been able to talk to anybody about anything for any length of time,” Mackie says with a shrug. “I just like to talk. I like to hear people’s stories. I like to tell peoples’ stories.”
You could say Mackie has lived a serendipitous life, a theme that runs throughout You Have Four Minutes. He’s won eight Emmys, hosted a short-lived PBS travel show called Get Lost (which lasted just one episode), and, improbably, turned that experience into a book deal. He had a stroke at 40, an event that led him to start saying “yes” to everything post-recovery in an effort to be grateful for being alive. He spent several years as a yoga teacher and, as if that weren’t enough, Mackie, a lifelong superfan of the B-52s, eventually formed a genuine friendship with frontwoman Cindy Wilson, who went on to write the foreword for his book. Yes, really.
Along with book signings, hosting cruises in the Greek Isles and serving as a keynote speaker, Mackie is currently the host of KC Studio’s podcast Artful Connections Along the Streetcar. On the show, he speaks with notable Kansas Citians, like Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art CEO and President Julián Zugazagoitia, about how the streetcar and the upcoming World Cup are reshaping the city’s cultural landscape.
Maybe he’s blessed by the universe, or maybe he just has an insatiable curiosity (Mackie agrees with both). Whether he’s having the worst interview of his life with Chris Kattan or Tommy Lee Jones (“I think he said maybe 12 words total in four minutes,” Mackie says of the latter. “Maybe 13 if you count ‘uh-huh’ as two words”) or discussing art history with Zugazagoitia, Mackie says his humor can always elicit a good story.
“Being goofy always works in my favor,” he says.
If you can believe it, Mackie still has a few dreams left on his bucket list, like interviewing Dolly Parton and Madonna. Preferably Dolly first, he says.
Right now, You Have Four Minutes is available at Made in KC stores, Rainy Day Books, the airport and on Amazon.
Michael Mackie’s Perfect Day In KC
Morning Fuel
You can usually find me getting caffeinated at one of the Filling Stations in the metro. I’m ordering the seasonal drink of the moment.
The Intermission
The perfect day involves multiple naps and no plans.
The Grand Finale
For dinner, I’m going to Jasper’s. I’m ordering the left side of the menu, then the right. There’s a chapter in my book about Jasper’s, and my favorite dish is something that’s not on the menu called Shrimp de Jonghe. Jasper’s is one of only a handful of places in the country that serves it, and you can only order it if Jasper himself is there. It’s my favorite dish in Kansas City. I even included the recipe in my book.
