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
- 2025 · Superman as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
- 2024 · Creature Commandos as Sam (voice)
- 2024 · Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 as Sgt. Major Riordan
- 2024 · Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
- 2023 · Fast X as Buddy (uncredited)
- 2023 · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Yondu
- 2022 · The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special as Yondu
- 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 · F9 as Buddy
- 2021 · Marvel Studios Legends as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2020 · Love and Monsters as Clyde
- 2020 · Fantasy Island as Damon
- 2019 · Creepshow as Beau
- 2019 · The Righteous Gemstones as Cobb Milsap
- 2019 · Brightburn as The Big T
- 2018 · The Rookie as Frank Teska
- 2017 · SEAL Team as Big Chief
- 2017 · Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Yondu
- 2016 · Ride with Norman Reedus as Self
- 2016 · The Belko Experiment as Bud Melks
- 2014 · Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
- 2014 · True Detective as Edward Hoyt
- 2011 · Talking Dead as Self
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
- 2009 · The Marine 2 as Church
- 2009 · Freeway Killer as Det. St. John
- 2009 · Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
- 2008 · Jumper as William Rice
- 2007 · Whisper as Sydney Braverman
- 2007 · Chuck as Mauser
- 2007 · Burn Notice as Dale Lawson
- 2006 · Shark as
- 2006 · Psych as Garth Lawnmore
- 2006 · Slither as Grant Grant
- 2006 · Thief as Detective John Hayes
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
- 2004 · Skeleton Man as Captain Leary
- 2003 · Saving Jessica Lynch as Colonel Curry
- 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
- 1999 · The Bone Collector as Captain Howard Cheney
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Colonel Edwards
- 1997 · Rosewood as Sheriff Walker
- 1997 · Meet Wally Sparks as Michael Rooker
- 1995 · Mallrats as Svenning
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Colonel Beckett
- 1994 · The Hard Truth as Jonah Mantz
- 1993 · Tombstone as Sherman McMasters
- 1993 · Fallen Angels as Babe McCloor
- 1993 · Cliffhanger as Hal Tucker
- 1993 · The Dark Half as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
- 1991 · JFK as Bill Broussard
- 1990 · Law & Order as Jamie Yost
- 1990 · Days of Thunder as Rowdy Burns
- 1989 · Sea of Love as Terry
- 1989 · L.A. Takedown as Bosko
- 1988 · Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
- 1988 · Above the Law as Man in Bar
- 1987 · Rent-a-Cop as Joe
- 1986 · Crime Story as Lieutenant
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Bill Whitaker
- Future · Pig Village as Steve
- Future · Table for One as Matt Draper
- 2023 · The Out-Laws as Agent Oldham
- 2022 · White Elephant as Gabriel Tancredi
- 2022 · Corrective Measures as Warden Devlin
- 2021 · Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR as Self
- 2021 · Clerk as Self
- 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
- 2019 · Bolden as Pat McMurphy
- 2017 · The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
- 2017 · Life After Flash as Self
- 2016 · Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed as Self
- 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 · Elwood as Condello
- 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 · Cell 213 as Ray Clement
- 2010 · Super as Abe
- 2010 · DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
- 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 · Matadors as John Canterna
- 2010 · Louis as Pat McMurphy
- 2009 · Meteor as Calvin Stark
- 2009 · Penance as Mann
- 2009 · Super Capers as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
- 2008 · Humanzee! as Priest
- 2008 · This Man's Life as Richard Crummly
- 2006 · Lenexa, 1 Mile as Russ
- 2006 · Repo! The Genetic Opera as
- 2005 · Portrait: The Making of Henry as Self
- 2005 · Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats as Himself
- 2005 · Chasing Ghosts as Mark Spencer
- 2004 · The Eliminator as
- 2003 · On Thin Ice as Roger Hopkins
- 2003 · The Box as Detective Stafford
- 2002 · The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity as Colonel Beckett
- 2000 · Newsbreak as John McNamara
- 2000 · Here on Earth as Malcolm Arnold
- 2000 · Table One as Rowdy
- 1999 · Wicked Ways as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
- 1998 · Renegade Force as Matt Cooper
- 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 · Bastard Out of Carolina as Uncle Earle
- 1996 · The Trigger Effect as Gary
- 1996 · American Yakuza II as Bob Malone
- 1995 · Johnny and Clyde as Frank Tennant
- 1994 · Suspicious as Attendet
- 1992 · Afterburn as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
- 1989 · Music Box as Karchy Laszlo
- 1989 · The Edge as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
- 1989 · Gideon Oliver as Detective John Quinn
- 1988 · Eight Men Out as Chick Gandil
- 1988 · Retreads as
- 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
- Future · Road Rage as Stony