Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker (born April 6, 1955) is an American actor who mainly plays roles of antagonists. He first rose to prominence for portraying the titular role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) and is best known for starring as Merle Dixon in the AMC series The Walking Dead (2010–2013) and as Yondu Udonta in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), followed by its sequels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). He is a recurring collaborator of Guardians of the Galaxy director and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, appearing in all of his films to date, including Slither (2006), Super (2010), and The Suicide Squad (2021). Rooker's other notable roles include Chick Gandil in Eight Men Out (1988), Frank Bailey in Mississippi Burning (1988), Terry Cruger in Sea of Love (1989), Rowdy Burns in Days of Thunder (1990), Bill Broussard in JFK (1991), Hal Tucker in Cliffhanger (1993), Sherman McMaster in Tombstone (1993), Jared Svenning in Mallrats (1995), Detective Edward Kennesaw in Deceiver (1997), Detective Howard Cheney in The Bone Collector (1999), Detective Jake Riley in Replicant (2001), and Buddy in F9 (2021).
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 as Sgt. Major Riordan
- 2025 · Superman as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
- 2024 · Creature Commandos as Sam (voice)
- 2024 · Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
- 2023 · The Out-Laws as Agent Oldham
- 2023 · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Yondu
- 2022 · The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as Yondu
- 2022 · White Elephant as Gabriel Tancredi
- 2022 · Corrective Measures as Warden Devlin
- 2022 · Peacemaker as Red St. Wild
- 2021 · What If...? as Yondu (voice)
- 2021 · What If...? as Yondu Udonta (voice)
- 2021 · Vivo as Lutador (voice)
- 2021 · The Suicide Squad as Savant
- 2021 · Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR as Self
- 2021 · F9 as Buddy
- 2021 · Clerk as Self
- 2021 · Marvel Studios Legends as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2020 · Love and Monsters as Clyde
- 2020 · The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder as Self
- 2020 · Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
- 2020 · The Dark Tower as Elred Jonas
- 2020 · Fantasy Island as Damon
- 2019 · Creepshow as Beau
- 2019 · The Righteous Gemstones as Cobb Milsap
- 2019 · Brightburn as The Big T
- 2019 · Bolden as Pat McMurphy
- 2018 · The Rookie as Frank Teska
- 2017 · The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
- 2017 · Life After Flash as Self
- 2017 · SEAL Team as Big Chief
- 2017 · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Yondu
- 2016 · Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed as Self
- 2016 · Ride with Norman Reedus as Self
- 2016 · The Belko Experiment as Bud Melks
- 2015 · CelebriD&D as Arnold
- 2014 · Guide to the Galaxy with James Gunn as Self
- 2014 · The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half as Himself
- 2014 · The Driving Dead as Trooper
- 2014 · Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
- 2014 · Elwood as Condello
- 2014 · True Detective as Edward Hoyt
- 2013 · Brother's Keeper as Chief Carver
- 2012 · Pennhurst as Dr. Death
- 2012 · Hypothermia as Ray Pelletier
- 2012 · Rogue River as Gas Attendent
- 2011 · Mysteria as Captain McCarthy
- 2011 · Talking Dead as Self
- 2011 · Cell 213 as Ray Clement
- 2010 · Super as Abe
- 2010 · DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
- 2010 · Atlantis Down as Father / Alien
- 2010 · The Making of The Walking Dead as Self
- 2010 · DC Showcase: Jonah Hex as Red Doc (voice)
- 2010 · Blood Done Sign My Name as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
- 2010 · Louis as Pat McMurphy
- 2010 · Matadors as John Canterna
- 2009 · The Marine 2 as Church
- 2009 · Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
- 2009 · Meteor as Calvin Stark
- 2008 · This Man's Life as Richard Crummly
- 2008 · Jumper as William Rice
- 2007 · Chuck as Mauser
- 2007 · Burn Notice as Dale Lawson
- 2006 · Shark as Oscar Riddick
- 2006 · Psych as Garth Lawnmore
- 2006 · Slither as Grant Grant
- 2006 · Lenexa, 1 Mile as Russ
- 2006 · Repo! The Genetic Opera as
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
- 2005 · Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats as Himself
- 2004 · The Eliminator as
- 2003 · Saving Jessica Lynch as Colonel Curry
- 2003 · On Thin Ice as Roger Hopkins
- 2003 · Las Vegas as Marcus Wexler
- 2003 · Tremors as Kinney
- 2002 · CSI: Miami as Marty Jones
- 2002 · Undisputed as A.J. Mercker
- 2001 · Crossing Jordan as Shawn Curaco
- 2001 · Replicant as Jake
- 2000 · The 6th Day as Robert Marshall
- 2000 · Newsbreak as John McNamara
- 2000 · Table One as Rowdy
- 1999 · Wicked Ways as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
- 1999 · The Bone Collector as Captain Howard Cheney
- 1998 · Renegade Force as Matt Cooper
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Colonel Edwards
- 1997 · Rosewood as Sheriff Walker
- 1997 · Meet Wally Sparks as Michael Rooker
- 1996 · Bastard Out of Carolina as Uncle Earle
- 1996 · Back to Back as Bob Malone
- 1995 · Mallrats as Svenning
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Colonel Beckett
- 1995 · Johnny and Clyde as Frank Tennant
- 1993 · Tombstone as Sherman McMasters
- 1993 · Fallen Angels as Babe McCloor
- 1993 · Cliffhanger as Hal Tucker
- 1991 · JFK as Bill Broussard
- 1990 · Law & Order as Jamie Yost
- 1990 · Days of Thunder as Rowdy Burns
- 1989 · L.A. Takedown as Bosko
- 1989 · The Edge as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
- 1988 · Above the Law as Man in Bar
- 1986 · Crime Story as Lieutenant
- Future · Pig Village as Steve
- 1988 · Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Bill Whitaker
- Future · Road Rage as Stony
- 2009 · Freeway Killer as Det. St. John
- 2009 · Penance as Mann
- 2009 · Super Capers as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
- 2008 · Humanzee! as Priest
- 2007 · Whisper as Sydney Braverman
- 2006 · Thief as Detective John Hayes
- 2005 · Portrait: The Making of Henry as Self
- 2005 · Chasing Ghosts as Mark Spencer
- 2004 · Skeleton Man as Captain Leary
- 2003 · The Box as Detective Stafford
- 2002 · The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity as Colonel Beckett
- 2002 · The Making of 'Tombstone' as Self
- 2000 · Here on Earth as Malcolm Arnold
- 1998 · Brown's Requiem as Fritz Brown
- 1998 · Shadow Builder as Father Vassey
- 1998 · The Replacement Killers as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
- 1997 · Deceiver as Detective Edward Kennesaw
- 1997 · Song of Hiawatha as Bertrand
- 1997 · Keys to Tulsa as Keith Michaels
- 1996 · The Trigger Effect as Gary
- 1994 · The Hard Truth as Jonah Mantz
- 1994 · Suspicious as Attendet
- 1993 · The Dark Half as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
- 1992 · Afterburn as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
- 1989 · Music Box as Karchy Laszlo
- 1989 · Sea of Love as Terry
- 1989 · Gideon Oliver as Detective John Quinn
- 1988 · Eight Men Out as Chick Gandil
- 1988 · Retreads as
- 1987 · Rent-a-Cop as Joe
- 1987 · Light of Day as Oogie
- 1986 · Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer as Henry
- Future · The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow as The Man with the Answers