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 (92)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Yondu
The Suicide Squad
Savant
Superman
Superman Robot #1 (voice)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Yondu
Guardians of the Galaxy
Yondu Udonta
The Bone Collector
Captain Howard Cheney
The 6th Day
Robert Marshall
Days of Thunder
Rowdy Burns
Love and Monsters
Clyde
Fantasy Island
Damon
F9
Buddy
The Out-Laws
Agent Oldham
Cliffhanger
Hal Tucker
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
White Elephant
Gabriel Tancredi
Mississippi Burning
Frank Bailey
Tombstone
Sherman McMasters
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Yondu
The Replacement Killers
Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Undisputed
A.J. Mercker
Above the Law
Man in Bar
Jumper
William Rice
Sea of Love
Terry
Brightburn
The Big T
JFK
Bill Broussard
Eight Men Out
Chick Gandil
Slither
Grant Grant
Super
Abe
Bastard Out of Carolina
Uncle Earle
The Belko Experiment
Bud Melks
Vivo
Lutador (voice)
The Dark Half
Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry
The Trigger Effect
Gary
Corrective Measures
Warden Devlin
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
Sgt. Major Riordan
L.A. Takedown
Bosko
Mallrats
Svenning
Replicant
Jake
Music Box
Karchy Laszlo
Whisper
Sydney Braverman
Chasing Ghosts
Mark Spencer
On Thin Ice
Roger Hopkins
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
Red Doc (voice)
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
The Marine 2
Church
Shadow Builder
Father Vassey
Wicked Ways
Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
Light of Day
Oogie
Bolden
Pat McMurphy
Meet Wally Sparks
Michael Rooker
Back to Back
Bob Malone
Here on Earth
Malcolm Arnold
Lenexa, 1 Mile
Russ
Renegade Force
Matt Cooper
Rent-a-Cop
Joe
Deceiver
Detective Edward Kennesaw
Skeleton Man
Captain Leary
Keys to Tulsa
Keith Michaels
Blood Done Sign My Name
Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Pennhurst
Dr. Death
Rogue River
Gas Attendent
Rosewood
Sheriff Walker
Cell 213
Ray Clement
Suspicious
Attendant
Brown's Requiem
Fritz Brown
Afterburn
Casey 'Z' Zankowski
The Hard Truth
Jonah Mantz
Johnny and Clyde
Frank Tennant
Penance
Mann
Super Capers
Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Song of Hiawatha
Bertrand
The Eliminator
2004
The Edge
Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
Freeway Killer
Det. St. John
Table One
Rowdy
Newsbreak
John McNamara
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2006
Brother's Keeper
Chief Carver
Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story
Sheriff Haney
The Box
Detective Stafford
Retreads
1988
Atlantis Down
Father / Alien
Mysteria
Captain McCarthy
Humanzee!
Priest
Hypothermia
Ray Pelletier
Saving Jessica Lynch
Colonel Curry
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
Colonel Beckett
Elwood
Condello
The Driving Dead
Trooper
Louis
Pat McMurphy
TV Shows (31)
Law & Order
Jamie Yost · 1 eps
The Rookie
Frank Teska · 2 eps
Criminal Minds
Chief Carlson · 1 eps
CSI: Miami
Marty Jones · 1 eps
The Walking Dead
Merle Dixon · 19 eps
Stargate SG-1
Colonel Edwards · 1 eps
Psych
Garth Lawnmore · 1 eps
SEAL Team
Big Chief · 1 eps
True Detective
Edward Hoyt · 1 eps
Archer
Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice) · 1 eps
Burn Notice
Dale Lawson · 1 eps
Crossing Jordan
Shawn Curaco · 1 eps
Las Vegas
Marcus Wexler · 1 eps
Chuck
Mauser · 1 eps
What If...?
Yondu (voice) · 2 eps
What If...?
Yondu Udonta (voice) · 1 eps
The Equalizer
Bill Whitaker · 1 eps
The Outer Limits
Colonel Beckett · 1 eps
Peacemaker
Red St. Wild · 3 eps
The Righteous Gemstones
Cobb Milsap · 5 eps
Crime Story
Lieutenant · 2 eps
Marvel Studios Legends
Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited) · 6 eps
Shark
Oscar Riddick · 1 eps
Creature Commandos
Sam (voice) · 1 eps
Creepshow
Beau · 1 eps
Fallen Angels
Babe McCloor · 1 eps
Tremors
Kinney · 1 eps
Meteor
Calvin Stark · 2 eps
Thief
Detective John Hayes · 5 eps
Gideon Oliver
Detective John Quinn · 1 eps
CelebriD&D
Arnold · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (14)
Talking Dead
Self · 1 eps
Ride with Norman Reedus
Self · 2 eps
NSFW Show
Self - Guest · 6 eps
Dead Talk Live
Self - Guest · 2 eps
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
Self · 8 eps
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
Self
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Self
The Making of The Walking Dead
Self
Life After Flash
Self
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
Self
Clerk
Self
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
Self
Portrait: The Making of Henry
Self
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
Self
