Michael Roof
Michael Roof (November 24, 1976 – June 9, 2009) was an American actor and comedian.[1]
Michael Roof | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 24, 1976 MacDill AFB, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 2009 (aged 32) Snellville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2000–2006 |
Personal life
Roof was born on November 24, 1976 at a U.S. Air Force hospital at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, to Jean and Michael Roof, Sr. He had two brothers, Derek and Donny, and two sisters, Megan and Kim. Roof attended Reese AFB Elementary, Lubbock, Texas, then Frenship Intermediate and Frenship Jr. High, in Wolfforth, Texas, just outside Lubbock. While in eighth grade the Roof family moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan.
After his television series Raising the Roofs was cancelled in 2006, Roof moved to Georgia with his wife, Megan, and their two sons.
Career
Roof toured American comedy clubs with a stage name of "Chicken." He was especially popular in college town comedy clubs such as Deja Vu in Columbia Missouri. Under the stage name Chicken he became an underground sensation, leaving audiences wanting more even when he was the opener. Leading to getting his own headlining spots, and a devoted fan base that helped launch his film and TV career.
In 2000, he had a central part in the WB Network sketch comedy TV series Hype, but it was canceled after its first season. After Hype, Roof moved to Hollywood, California to pursue a film career.
He landed a number of film roles in big-budget Hollywood productions. Some of these roles include Private John Maddox of the U.S. Army Rangers in Black Hawk Down, Dil Driscoll in The Dukes of Hazzard, and National Security Agency Agent Toby Lee Shavers in XXX and its sequel XXX: State of the Union.
In 2006, Roof was given his own Spike Channel reality TV show, Raising the Roofs. The program, which ran for six episodes, followed the misadventures of his self-described "Florida cracker" dad, Michael, Sr., and his uncle, while they visited Roof at his home in Hollywood.
Death
In the early morning of June 9, 2009, Roof's wife contacted police and reported him missing. Several hours later, his body was found hanged from a tree in a wooded area near a Snellville, Georgia, elementary school parking lot. Roof reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder, and had been despondent about family finances.[2] He is buried in Dunnellon Memorial Gardens, Dunnellon, Florida.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Black Hawk Down | Maddox | |
| 2002 | XXX | Agent Toby Lee Shavers | |
| 2005 | XXX: State of the Union | ||
| 2005 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Dil Driscoll | (final film role) |
References
- "Actor Michael Roof dies in Georgia; father in Dunnellon confirms death". Ocala.com. 2009-06-10. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- "Actor with local connection reportedly took his own life". ocala.com, June 11, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-06-15.
- "Funeral services for actor Michael Roof to be Saturday in Dunnellon". ocala.com, June 12, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-06-15.
External links
- Michael Roof on IMDb