Michael Rooker
Acting
Born: April 6, 1955 (age 71) · Jasper, Alabama, USA
Highest Rated
Biography
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
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017
The Walking Dead
2010
The Suicide Squad
2021
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023
F9
2021
Jumper
2008
Superman
2025
What If...?
2021
Love and Monsters
2020
True Detective
2014
Criminal Minds
2005
Photos (2)
Movies (91)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Yondu
Superman
Superman Robot #1 (voice)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Yondu
The Suicide Squad
Savant
Guardians of the Galaxy
Yondu Udonta
Days of Thunder
Rowdy Burns
Tombstone
Sherman McMasters
F9
Buddy
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Yondu
Jumper
William Rice
Brightburn
The Big T
Cliffhanger
Hal Tucker
Mississippi Burning
Frank Bailey
Undisputed
A.J. Mercker
The Bone Collector
Captain Howard Cheney
JFK
Bill Broussard
The 6th Day
Robert Marshall
Fantasy Island
Damon
The Out-Laws
Agent Oldham
Love and Monsters
Clyde
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
Above the Law
Man in Bar
The Replacement Killers
Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Slither
Grant Grant
Sea of Love
Terry
The Belko Experiment
Bud Melks
Vivo
Lutador (voice)
Mallrats
Svenning
The Dark Half
Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Super
Abe
Skeleton Man
Captain Leary
White Elephant
Gabriel Tancredi
Replicant
Jake
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
Sgt. Major Riordan
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry
Music Box
Karchy Laszlo
Corrective Measures
Warden Devlin
The Marine 2
Church
Eight Men Out
Chick Gandil
Bastard Out of Carolina
Uncle Earle
Deceiver
Detective Edward Kennesaw
Whisper
Sydney Braverman
The Trigger Effect
Gary
L.A. Takedown
Bosko
Keys to Tulsa
Keith Michaels
Meet Wally Sparks
Michael Rooker
Bolden
Pat McMurphy
Here on Earth
Malcolm Arnold
Light of Day
Oogie
Afterburn
Casey 'Z' Zankowski
Super Capers
Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Rent-a-Cop
Joe
Back to Back
Bob Malone
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
Song of Hiawatha
Bertrand
Renegade Force
Matt Cooper
Chasing Ghosts
Mark Spencer
Rosewood
Sheriff Walker
Shadow Builder
Father Vassey
Cell 213
Ray Clement
Pennhurst
Dr. Death
On Thin Ice
Roger Hopkins
Rogue River
Gas Attendent
Brown's Requiem
Fritz Brown
Penance
Mann
Wicked Ways
Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
Louis
Pat McMurphy
The Edge
Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
The Eliminator
2004
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
Red Doc (voice)
Blood Done Sign My Name
Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Lenexa, 1 Mile
Russ
Johnny and Clyde
Frank Tennant
Mysteria
Captain McCarthy
Saving Jessica Lynch
Colonel Curry
The Hard Truth
Jonah Mantz
Newsbreak
John McNamara
Freeway Killer
Det. St. John
Retreads
1988
Suspicious
Attendant
The Box
Detective Stafford
Atlantis Down
Father / Alien
Table One
Rowdy
Brother's Keeper
Chief Carver
Hypothermia
Ray Pelletier
Elwood
Condello
Humanzee!
Priest
The Driving Dead
Trooper
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2006
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
Colonel Beckett
TV Shows (30)
The Rookie
Frank Teska · 2 eps
Law & Order
Jamie Yost · 1 eps
Criminal Minds
Chief Carlson · 1 eps
The Walking Dead
Merle Dixon · 19 eps
SEAL Team
Big Chief · 1 eps
CSI: Miami
Marty Jones · 1 eps
Stargate SG-1
Colonel Edwards · 1 eps
Psych
Garth Lawnmore · 1 eps
True Detective
Edward Hoyt · 1 eps
Crossing Jordan
Shawn Curaco · 1 eps
Las Vegas
Marcus Wexler · 1 eps
What If...?
Yondu (voice) · 2 eps
What If...?
Yondu Udonta (voice) · 1 eps
Burn Notice
Dale Lawson · 1 eps
Peacemaker
Red St. Wild · 3 eps
Chuck
Mauser · 1 eps
Archer
Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice) · 1 eps
The Outer Limits
Colonel Beckett · 1 eps
The Righteous Gemstones
Cobb Milsap · 4 eps
The Equalizer
Bill Whitaker · 1 eps
Marvel Studios Legends
Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited) · 6 eps
Creature Commandos
Sam (voice) · 1 eps
Shark
Oscar Riddick · 1 eps
Creepshow
Beau · 1 eps
Crime Story
Lieutenant · 2 eps
Fallen Angels
Babe McCloor · 1 eps
Tremors
Kinney · 1 eps
Meteor
Calvin Stark · 2 eps
Thief
Detective John Hayes · 5 eps
CelebriD&D
Arnold · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (14)
Talking Dead
Self · 1 eps
NSFW Show
Self - Guest · 6 eps
Ride with Norman Reedus
Self · 2 eps
Dead Talk Live
Self - Guest · 2 eps
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
Self · 8 eps
Clerk
Self
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
Self
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Self
Life After Flash
Self
The Making of The Walking Dead
Self
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
Self
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
Self
Portrait: The Making of Henry
Self
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
Self
