Adjusting to having a knife for a hand might be a little more difficult than one might think.
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For Michael Rooker, when he was playing one-handed Merle Dixon on AMC‘s The Walking Dead, adapting to the contraption attached to the end of his arm was a challenge. It was so difficult and unusual, he almost stabbed someone with the prop knife which was sticking out of it!
During a panel at Heroes & Villains FanFest in London over the weekend, the actor who most recently played Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opened up about his one-handed experience in the zombie apocalypse.
“The first time I put that on, the wardrobe person is putting on my wardrobe, and I’m coming with the knife hand and I had forgotten that I had worn 8 inches extended from my hand,” Rooker said.
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As it turns out, he accidentally jabbed somebody with the costume prop! “It wasn’t very sharp,” Rooker said. “It didn’t really stab him. It just poked him a little bit.”
From there, Rooker learned to adapt to his prop which would become an integral part of Merle’s apparel for the rest of his time on the series. “I would practice all the time, trying to touch certain objects on the wall… you’re extending your own hand out 8 inches into the tip of a blade… I worked hard so I wouldn’t accidentally stab someone.” He does admit, though, the prop was “a little bit difficult to get used to.”
Rooker was no stranger to interesting weapon choices when he arrived on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, so taking on a whistling arrow ability was hardly a challenge. “The arrow is the weapon of choice for any period of history. Whether you’re fighting zombies or aliens from other worlds, Yondu’s arrow was quite a formidable weapon,” Rooker said.
MORE WALKING DEAD: TWD’s Five Worst Characters / New Photo Of Johnny Depp’s Dead Head Prop / Negan’s Backstory Reveals Completely Different Character / Watch Negan’s Alternate Kills / TWD F-Take Clips With Rick And Daryl / Major Criticism Fixed For Season 8 / TWD Casting Two New Characters
The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.
