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 · 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 · 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
- 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 · Ride with Norman Reedus as Self
- 2016 · The Belko Experiment as Bud Melks
- 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 · Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
- 2014 · True Detective as Edward Hoyt
- 2012 · Pennhurst as Dr. Death
- 2012 · Rogue River as Gas Attendent
- 2011 · Talking Dead as Self
- 2011 · Cell 213 as Ray Clement
- 2010 · Super as Abe
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
- 2010 · The Making of The Walking Dead as Self
- 2010 · DC Showcase: Jonah Hex as Red Doc (voice)
- 2009 · The Marine 2 as Church
- 2009 · Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
- 2009 · Meteor as Calvin Stark
- 2009 · Penance as Mann
- 2009 · Super Capers as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
- 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 · Thief as Detective John Hayes
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
- 2005 · Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats as Himself
- 2005 · Chasing Ghosts as Mark Spencer
- 2004 · Skeleton Man as Captain Leary
- 2003 · Las Vegas as Marcus Wexler
- 2003 · The Box as Detective Stafford
- 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
- 2000 · Here on Earth as Malcolm Arnold
- 1999 · Wicked Ways as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
- 1999 · The Bone Collector as Captain Howard Cheney
- 1998 · Renegade Force as Matt Cooper
- 1998 · Shadow Builder as Father Vassey
- 1998 · The Replacement Killers as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
- 1997 · Deceiver as Detective Edward Kennesaw
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as Colonel Edwards
- 1997 · Keys to Tulsa as Keith Michaels
- 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
- 1994 · The Hard Truth as Jonah Mantz
- 1993 · Tombstone as Sherman McMasters
- 1993 · Fallen Angels as Babe McCloor
- 1993 · The Dark Half as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
- 1990 · Law & Order as Jamie Yost
- 1990 · Days of Thunder as Rowdy Burns
- 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
- 1987 · Rent-a-Cop as Joe
- 1986 · Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer as Henry
- 1986 · Crime Story as Lieutenant
- Future · The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow as The Man with the Answers
- 1993 · Cliffhanger as Hal Tucker
- 1991 · JFK as Bill Broussard
- 1989 · Sea of Love as Terry
- 1988 · Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
- 1988 · Above the Law as Man in Bar
- Future · Pig Village as Steve
- 2021 · Clerk as Self
- 2019 · Bolden as Pat McMurphy
- 2016 · Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed as Self
- 2015 · CelebriD&D as Arnold
- 2014 · The Driving Dead as Trooper
- 2014 · Elwood as Condello
- 2013 · Brother's Keeper as Chief Carver
- 2012 · Hypothermia as Ray Pelletier
- 2011 · Mysteria as Captain McCarthy
- 2010 · DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
- 2010 · Atlantis Down as Father / Alien
- 2010 · Blood Done Sign My Name as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
- 2010 · Matadors as John Canterna
- 2010 · Louis as Pat McMurphy
- 2009 · Freeway Killer as Det. St. John
- 2008 · Humanzee! as Priest
- 2007 · Whisper as Sydney Braverman
- 2006 · Lenexa, 1 Mile as Russ
- 2006 · Repo! The Genetic Opera as
- 2005 · Portrait: The Making of Henry as Self
- 2004 · The Eliminator as
- 2003 · Saving Jessica Lynch as Colonel Curry
- 2003 · On Thin Ice as Roger Hopkins
- 2002 · The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity as Colonel Beckett
- 1998 · Brown's Requiem as Fritz Brown
- 1997 · Song of Hiawatha as Bertrand
- 1996 · The Trigger Effect as Gary
- 1994 · Suspicious as Attendet
- 1992 · Afterburn as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
- 1989 · L.A. Takedown as Bosko
- 1988 · Retreads as
- 1987 · Light of Day as Oogie
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Bill Whitaker
- Future · Road Rage as Stony