8 reasons why Michael Rooker was Phoenix Fan Fusion’s best guest ever

There's often expectations with celebrity panels at events like Phoenix Fan Fusion. Be it a Hollywood star or a TV favorite, you expect them to schmooze a little, crack some jokes, share juicy behind-the-scenes tales and take a group photo. But in the case of Michael Rooker — best known as Yondu in "Guardians of the Galaxy," Savant in "Suicide Squad," Merle Dixon in "The Walking Dead" and Frank Bailey in "Mississippi Burning" — expectations flew out the window from minute one.

"I don’t want to spoil what happened last time," said a panel moderator regarding Rooker's last visit in 2013. "But it was fun — just not for me. Gird your loins — we don’t know what will happen."

Here, then, are just a dozen or so examples of when Rooker smashed expectations — alongside the panel's rules, basic decorum, people's hearts and minds, etc.

Stage directions

Rooker began with a few words for the moderator. After keeping the audience waiting for several minutes, he finally sauntered onto stage with his own directions right out of the playbook of some extra-terse director.

"You ain’t very good at this stuff, are you?" said Rooker. "When you make a big hullabaloo, you wait till it dies down and then you got to go into it!"

Moments later, when he called the photographer on stage, Rooker added, "Did I not say I wondered how good she was going to be?"

Crowd work

While his manners proved tenuous at best, Rooker had some solid interactions with the audience, including the fan dressed as The Armorer from "The Mandalorian."

"I saw this thing and I was kinda turned on by it," he said of the prop tongs held by The Armorer.

Or, when he met a girl dressed up as Barbie.

"You're Barbie," said Rooker as he gently pulled on the girl's arms. "Your joints work better than Barbie? That’s your real hair? I was expecting plastic!"

And, of course, the woman dressed as Beatrix Kiddo from "Kill Bill," who he met earlier in the day at a photo op.

"Who’s that other guy? That’s your husband?! I didn’t even notice him," said Rooker. "Wait, you’re not Uma Thurman? The whole time I thought you were!"

All about the Benjamins

Rooker's not much for a credo, but he does have one thing he covets above all else.

"I don’t answer a lot of questions," he said, "but I tell every young actor to get paid."

It's so vital, in fact, that when asked about whether he likes doing period pieces — his latest is the Kevin Costner-led Civil War drama "Horizon: An American Saga" — Rooker once again leaned into the power of cheddar.

"Do I like wearing jackets and all that?" he said. "What, versus playing someone from outer space? I don’t care, as long as I get paid."

Does that even hold true for his beloved turn as Yondu?

"This is so emotional for me," said Rooker when asked about the best part of playing the Ravager. "The money! I just like money so much, and when I’m without her my pockets feel empty."

Rooker's so cheap, he said, that he even cuts his own hair and beard for movie parts. Turns out, though, that such frugality was likely born out of an actual need.

"I’m one of those weird spending people who get suckered online," he said. "I get these good vitamins that can grow stuff. I got a whole big closet of stuff that will help your nails grow."

Speaking the right language

Rooker is a lifelong learner and is trying to teach himself sign language.

"Only things I know are 'go to toilet,' 'thank you' and 'jiggly-butt," he said.

A man of much wisdom

When he's not learning a new language, he's often doling out sage life advice — even if he never intends to.

"You change as you get older," he said. "And you don’t realize you did till it’s over. And shit, I didn’t want to."

Take, for instance, when he was asked about making the transition from live theater in Chicago to making movies.

"Wasn’t hard at all," he said. "Life is full of transitions. You've got to buck up and get used to it."

Or, if he ever felt typecast in a very specific role.

"I don’t ever play villains," he said. "Most people you disagree with, and if you're also willing to fight for yourself, they'll consider you a villain. But I'll tell you: It's the zombie apocalypse, and you ain’t getting my water!"

Hollywood gossip

Rooker did have a few stories to share about his past film roles, such as how he went behind director James Gunn's back during the shooting for "Slither."

"I shaved my head for the film, but Gunn said keep this much," Rooker said, showing just a few inches with his hand. "But then I realized the monster makeup took seven-and-a-half-hours, and they said it'd be better with no hair. I shaved that shit in a second! Gunn was not happy."

Or, an especially memorable run-in with law enforcement while shooting "The Walking Dead."

"I'm on top of a building shooting a rifle," he said of the shoot near downtown Atlanta. "But in real life, people were going to work. People called 911, and I think they’re coming to get me. One of our police (consultants) saw it, and said, 'No, guys, they’re shooting a movie.' I didn’t have time to be afraid. It just happened."

And speaking of "The Walking Dead," Rooker had a hilarious experience after he was "turned" into a zombie.

"It was brisket," said Rooker of the human flesh he ate in one scene. "They wrapped it around (the actor's) ribs and they made it special for me — not too much salt. I was just digging in. The actor's really not dead, and he starts giggling. I’m bringing the brisket in from deep down there. Just going to town."

Just don't ask him about playing his more recent roles like "Horizon" — or else.

"How big of a role is it?" said Rooker. "You got to watch to find out, sucker! You almost got me there."

You can, however, ask him about "Tombstone."

"Yeah, I brought my own horse," he said.

Shooting the breeze

Regardless of what he said earlier, Rooker excels at answering questions. He not only spent the most time in any panel I've ever seen, but he tackled the most actual questions to boot. It helps, of course, that most were especially rapid-fire.

Would he ever work with Kevin Smith again after "Mallrats" in the '90s? "Yes."

Was he sad to have left "The Walking Dead" during its peak popularity? "Yes."

What was it like working as Yondu? "I loved baby Groot. We were on the same level of communication."

What about his favorite movie to "play" in? "I don’t play."

Could we ever see Yondu's origin film? "Call the studio. I’ll even cut them a deal on the price."

A mostly pure heart

Despite all of the talk of money, the vitamin surplus and other hijinks, Rooker ultimately revealed himself to be a genuine and thoughtful person. Like when he gave a surprising answer about playing jerk-turned-monster Grant Grant in "Slither."

"As Grant Grant becomes more of the monster, he becomes more of a human with real emotions," Rooker said. "Before he was very cold and had no connection to his wife, Starla. That only happened when he started to become a monster."

But the real gem came when, totally unprovoked (not that he needed much provoking anyway), he shared his true feelings about the audience.

"It’s not the money; it’s all the love I share," he said of why he acts. "We’re all cut from the same cloth and we’re all into the same weird stuff. We’re all carnies with good teeth."