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 · 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 · 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 · 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
- 2014 · Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
- 2014 · True Detective as Edward Hoyt
- 2012 · Rogue River as Gas Attendent
- 2011 · Talking Dead as Self
- 2011 · Cell 213 as Ray Clement
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
- 2010 · Atlantis Down as Father / Alien
- 2010 · The Making of The Walking Dead as Self
- 2010 · Blood Done Sign My Name as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
- 2009 · Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
- 2009 · Penance as Mann
- 2008 · Jumper as William Rice
- 2007 · Chuck as Mauser
- 2007 · Burn Notice as Dale Lawson
- 2006 · Shark as
- 2006 · Psych as Garth Lawnmore
- 2006 · Slither as Grant Grant
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
- 2004 · Skeleton Man as Captain Leary
- 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
- 1999 · The Bone Collector as Captain Howard Cheney
- 1998 · Brown's Requiem as Fritz Brown
- 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
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Colonel Beckett
- 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 · Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
- 1988 · Eight Men Out as Chick Gandil
- 1986 · Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer as Henry
- 1986 · Crime Story as Lieutenant
- 1985 · The Equalizer as Bill Whitaker
- Future · Pig Village as Steve
- 2022 · White Elephant as Gabriel Tancredi
- 2022 · Corrective Measures as Warden Devlin
- 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
- 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 · Elwood as Condello
- 2013 · Brother's Keeper as Chief Carver
- 2012 · Pennhurst as Dr. Death
- 2012 · Hypothermia as Ray Pelletier
- 2011 · Mysteria as Captain McCarthy
- 2010 · Super as Abe
- 2010 · DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
- 2010 · DC Showcase: Jonah Hex as Red Doc (voice)
- 2010 · Louis as Pat McMurphy
- 2010 · Matadors as John Canterna
- 2009 · The Marine 2 as Church
- 2009 · Freeway Killer as Det. St. John
- 2009 · Meteor as Calvin Stark
- 2009 · Super Capers as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
- 2008 · Humanzee! as Priest
- 2008 · This Man's Life as Richard Crummly
- 2007 · Whisper as Sydney Braverman
- 2006 · Thief as Detective John Hayes
- 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 · Saving Jessica Lynch as Colonel Curry
- 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
- 1999 · Table for One as Matt Draper
- 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 · Song of Hiawatha as Bertrand
- 1996 · Bastard Out of Carolina as Uncle Earle
- 1996 · The Trigger Effect as Gary
- 1996 · American Yakuza II as Bob Malone
- 1995 · Mallrats as Svenning
- 1995 · Johnny and Clyde as Frank Tennant
- 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 · Above the Law as Man in Bar
- 1987 · Rent-a-Cop as Joe
- Future · The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow as The Man with the Answers
- 1988 · Retreads as
- 1987 · Light of Day as Oogie
- Future · Road Rage as Stony