Michael Roof
Encyclopedia
Michael Roof was an American
television
and film
actor
.
Roof was born at an Air Force hospital in Tampa, Florida
to Michael Roof, Sr. and Jean (Tillet). Roof had two brothers, Derek and Donny; and two sisters, Megan and Kim.
Roof toured the nation's comedy clubs with a stage name of "Chicken." He was especially popular in college town comedy clubs such as Deja Vu in Columbia Missouri.
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 include the role of Private
Mike Maddox of the US Rangers in Black Hawk Down, the comedic character of 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
.
Roof's role as NSA Agent Shavers in xXx and xXx: State of the Union are perhaps Roof's most recognized.
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.
After "Raising the Roofs" was cancelled, Roof moved to Georgia with his wife, Megan (Bowen), and their three sons, Chase, Jackson, and Sean.
, elementary school parking lot. Roof reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder
, and had been despondent about family finances. He is buried in Dunnellon Memorial Gardens, Dunnellon, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Roof was born at an Air Force hospital in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
to Michael Roof, Sr. and Jean (Tillet). Roof had two brothers, Derek and Donny; and two sisters, Megan and Kim.
Roof toured the nation's comedy clubs with a stage name of "Chicken." He was especially popular in college town comedy clubs such as Deja Vu in Columbia Missouri.
In 2000, he had a central part in the WB Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
TV series Hype
Hype (TV series)
Hype is a sketch comedy television series on The WB Television Network. Most of the central jokes making fun of celebrities in the news at the time...
, 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 include the role of Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
Mike Maddox of the US Rangers in Black Hawk Down, the comedic character of Dil Driscoll in The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard (film)
The Dukes of Hazzard is a 2005 comedy film based on the American television series of the same name. The film was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and released on August 5, 2005 by Warner Bros. Pictures...
, and National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
Agent Toby Lee Shavers in xXx
XXX
XXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
and its sequel xXx: State of the Union
XXX: State of the Union
xXx: State of the Union, mainly released as xXx²: The Next Level outside the United States and Canada, is a 2005 action-adventure film directed by Lee Tamahori. It is a sequel to the 2002 film xXx...
.
Roof's role as NSA Agent Shavers in xXx and xXx: State of the Union are perhaps Roof's most recognized.
In 2006, Roof was given his own Spike Channel reality TV show, Raising the Roofs
Raising the Roofs
Raising the Roofs is a 2006 reality television show on Spike TV, following the life of aspiring actor Michael Roof, and the misadventures of his self described Florida cracker dad and uncle, in Hollywood, California.-Episode list:...
. The program, which ran for six episodes, followed the misadventures of his self-described "Florida cracker
Cracker (pejorative)
Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a pejorative term for white people. It is an ethnic slur that is especially used for the white inhabitants of the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida , but it is also used throughout the United States.-Etymology:One theory holds that the term comes from the...
" dad, Michael, Sr., and his uncle, while they visited Roof at his home in Hollywood.
After "Raising the Roofs" was cancelled, Roof moved to Georgia with his wife, Megan (Bowen), and their three sons, Chase, Jackson, and Sean.
Death
In the early morning of June 9, 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, GeorgiaSnellville, Georgia
Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 15,351 at the 2000 census. The city's mayor, Jerry Oberholtzer, was elected to a 4-year term in 2007. The city's commercial and residential development has grown enormously in recent years...
, elementary school parking lot. Roof reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, and had been despondent about family finances. He is buried in Dunnellon Memorial Gardens, Dunnellon, Florida
Dunnellon, Florida
Dunnellon is a city in Marion County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,898 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,951...
.