Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's Michael Rooker: 'Reconsider the bad guy, they're not so bad'

Michael Rooker can play a great villain. Just look at some of his most notable roles: Henry in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead and, most recently, Yondu in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

But Rooker is quick to note that he has never played a completely evil character. He clarifies: "Characters that are not complete villains, that vacillate somewhere in that grey area, are the ones that I dig." 

Rooker's ability to put on a facade and take on these intense roles wasn't something he learned in theatre school, though. Instead, he says he learned it in his teens, growing up in Chicago. "If you lived in my neighbourhood and you didn't look like you were a don't-mess-with-me kind of guy, well, you would be messed with," he explains. "You learn how to be hard and tough, and that sort of sticks with you sometimes." 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theatres on May 5.

— Produced by Elaine Chau