Earlier this summer we saw the release of one of the biggest films of the year, Marvel’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’! The film saw the return of everyone’s favorite space fairing band of misfits as they took on some serious family drama! Whether it’s a story about sisters who need to learn to get along, learning to deal with the jerk in the family who seems a little rough around the edges, or realizing that just because someone is your blood relative it doesn’t make them your real family, there are lots of lessons to take away from ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’.
We were recently able to sit down with one of the film’s stars, actor Michael Rooker, who plays Yondu in both ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ films. Yondu is s surrogate father to the film’s lead protagonist, Peter ‘Starlord’ Quill, having taken him from earth as a child and raising him to be the lovable outlaw we know today.
Be warned, our exclusive interview with Mr. Rooker below is laden with several spoilers for ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2‘!
Science Fiction: First off, it’s great to be talking to you again! You just starred in one of the biggest film’s of the year, ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’, and your character Yondu had a much more expanded role this time around. In the first film, you were more of an anti-hero pirate, while in this film you were officially a member of the team! How does it feel to officially be a ‘Guardian Of The Galaxy’?
Michael Rooker: I’m still an anti-hero! I’m still a ravager, you know! And I’m still… you know, just hanging with my new group! And I actually got along quite well with Rocket, as I’m sure you see in the movie! Me and Rocket are very much cut from the same cloth.
SF: Many people have gone on to say that Yondu really grew to become the heart of the film in ‘Vol. 2’, what are your thoughts on that and going into this sequel what new things did you want to bring to the role?
MR: You know, a lot of stuff you see in the sequel are ideas and backstory that we had already talked about in the first ‘Guardians’. So now they get, which was really cool for me, but now we get to actually manifest it all into actions. Which was very very awesome, and I loved it. I just loved it. The second one was great, I thought it was as… well I don’t even want to say “as good as”, because I thought it was better. The way we developed the characters, it was a great combination. A great balance going on in that film. It’s well written and well acted by everyone!
SF: What was your reaction when you first read the end of the script for ‘Vol. 2’ and what fate had in store for Yondu?
MR: I knew about it before I read it, so I immediately cut to the end like “WHAT?!”! But basically my thought was just “wow”, because really, WOW! This is extremely powerful, and I hope I was able to do it justice. You always have to do your best, and it was well worth it.
SF: Do you think we’ve truly seen the last of Yondu, or do you think there’s hope to see you in a future ‘Guardians’ sequel?
MR: I have no idea! You know, it’s completely out of my thoughts. I don’t think about it, I just move on. I’m an actor, that’s what I do for a living, I work, and I just keep working. I’m working right now!
SF: So what’s next for you? Do you have any cool projects coming up you could tell us about?
MR: I did a movie called ‘Bolden!’, and it’s about the birthing of jazz. The story of Buddy Bolden! And I hope that comes out one day, we did a lot of fun stuff with it and there are a lot of great actors involved with it. I hope to see that.
SF: And the big question on everyone’s minds, is there any truth to the rumors that you might be making an appearance in the upcoming ‘Mary Poppins’ sequel, “Mary Poppins Returns”?
MR: Well, I don’t put any truth to any rumors…
SF: But would you make an appearance if they asked you to?
MR: You know, it’s really hard to appear in any movies these days because most of them can’t afford me!
Michael Rooker can be seen in Marvel’s ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’, which is in theaters now and also stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Sean Gunn, Bradley Cooper, and Vin Diesel. Be sure to follow Michael Rooker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
