Henry VIII had six wives, and Michael Parks had five. But when it comes to being cool, that old English monarch’s got nothing on this late American actor/singer. The California dude kicked off his career with guest appearances on a host of cowboy shows (Gunsmoke, The Real McCoys, Stoney Burke, Wagon Train). Mike traded in his horses for motorcycles via the small screen series Then Came Bronson (1969-1970) and the big screen movie Wild Seed (1965). Lead roles in the hip flicks The Idol (1966) and The Happening (1967) followed. But not before the handsome hottie portrayed a sizzling Adam in John Huston’s religious epic The Bible: In the Beginning… (1966). Heaven knows Mr. Man would love to remove Michael’s fig leaf! After a period of being blacklisted in Hollywood, Parks starred in and directed The Return of Josey Wales (1986), a sequel to the Clint Eastwood Western. He also returned to TV with stints on the Dynasty (1981-1989) spinoff The Colbys (1987) and the David Lynch series Twin Peaks (1990-1991). Mike’s comeback became even stronger when he began working with Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk till Dawn, Grindhouse); Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained, Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2); Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford); and Ben Affleck (Argo). Under the direction of Kevin Smith, Parks appeared in the thriller Red State (2011) and the chiller diller Tusk (2014). The latter features Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, and Michael’s bare back and butt. Nothing scary about that!
