Michael Rooker
Acting
1955-04-06 · Jasper, Alabama, USA
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).
Filmography
Superman
2025 · Movie
Creature Commandos
2024 · Series
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
2024 · Movie
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
2024 · Movie
The Out-Laws
2023 · Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023 · Movie
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
2022 · Movie
White Elephant
2022 · Movie
Corrective Measures
2022 · Movie
Peacemaker
2022 · Series
What If...?
2021 · Series
Vivo
2021 · Movie
The Suicide Squad
2021 · Movie
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
2021 · Movie
F9
2021 · Movie
Clerk
2021 · Movie
Marvel Studios Legends
2021 · Series
Love and Monsters
2020 · Movie
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
2020 · Movie
Dead Talk Live
2020 · Series
The Dark Tower
2020 · Movie
Fantasy Island
2020 · Movie
Creepshow
2019 · Series
The Righteous Gemstones
2019 · Series
Brightburn
2019 · Movie
Bolden
2019 · Movie
The Rookie
2018 · Series
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
2017 · Movie
Life After Flash
2017 · Movie
SEAL Team
2017 · Series
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017 · Movie
The Belko Experiment
2017 · Movie
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
2016 · Series
Ride with Norman Reedus
2016 · Series
CelebriD&D
2015 · Series
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half
2014 · Movie
The Driving Dead
2014 · Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014 · Movie
Elwood
2014 · Movie
True Detective
2014 · Series
Brother's Keeper
2013 · Movie
Pennhurst
2012 · Movie
Hypothermia
2012 · Movie
Rogue River
2012 · Movie
Mysteria
2011 · Movie
Talking Dead
2011 · Series
Cell 213
2011 · Movie
Super
2010 · Movie
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
2010 · Movie
The Walking Dead
2010 · Series
Atlantis Down
2010 · Movie
The Making of The Walking Dead
2010 · Movie
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
2010 · Movie
Blood Done Sign My Name
2010 · Movie
Matadors
2010 · Movie
Louis
2010 · Movie
The Marine 2
2009 · Movie
NSFW Show
2009 · Series
Freeway Killer
2009 · Movie
Archer
2009 · Series
Meteor
2009 · Series
Penance
2009 · Movie
Super Capers
2009 · Movie
Humanzee!
2008 · Movie
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2008 · Movie
This Man's Life
2008 · Movie
Jumper
2008 · Movie
Whisper
2007 · Movie
Chuck
2007 · Series
Burn Notice
2007 · Series
Shark
2006 · Series
Psych
2006 · Series
Slither
2006 · Movie
Thief
2006 · Series
Lenexa, 1 Mile
2006 · Movie
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2006 · Movie
Portrait: The Making of Henry
2005 · Movie
Criminal Minds
2005 · Series
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
2005 · Movie
Chasing Ghosts
2005 · Movie
The Eliminator
2004 · Movie
Skeleton Man
2004 · Movie
Saving Jessica Lynch
2003 · Movie
On Thin Ice
2003 · Movie
Las Vegas
2003 · Series
The Box
2003 · Movie
Tremors
2003 · Series
CSI: Miami
2002 · Series
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
2002 · Movie
Undisputed
2002 · Movie
The Making of 'Tombstone'
2002 · Movie
Crossing Jordan
2001 · Series
Replicant
2001 · Movie
The 6th Day
2000 · Movie
Newsbreak
2000 · Movie
Table One
2000 · Movie
Here on Earth
2000 · Movie
Wicked Ways
1999 · Movie
The Bone Collector
1999 · Movie
Renegade Force
1998 · Movie
Shadow Builder
1998 · Movie
Brown's Requiem
1998 · Movie
The Replacement Killers
1998 · Movie
Deceiver
1997 · Movie
Stargate SG-1
1997 · Series
Song of Hiawatha
1997 · Movie
Keys to Tulsa
1997 · Movie
Rosewood
1997 · Movie
Meet Wally Sparks
1997 · Movie
Bastard Out of Carolina
1996 · Movie
The Trigger Effect
1996 · Movie
Back to Back
1996 · Movie
Mallrats
1995 · Movie
The Outer Limits
1995 · Series
Johnny and Clyde
1995 · Movie
The Hard Truth
1994 · Movie
Suspicious
1994 · Movie
Tombstone
1993 · Movie
Fallen Angels
1993 · Series
Cliffhanger
1993 · Movie
The Dark Half
1993 · Movie
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
1993 · Movie
Afterburn
1992 · Movie
JFK
1991 · Movie
Law & Order
1990 · Series
Days of Thunder
1990 · Movie
Music Box
1989 · Movie
Sea of Love
1989 · Movie
L.A. Takedown
1989 · Movie
The Edge
1989 · Movie
Gideon Oliver
1989 · Series
Mississippi Burning
1988 · Movie
Eight Men Out
1988 · Movie
Above the Law
1988 · Movie
Retreads
1988 · Movie
Rent-a-Cop
1987 · Movie
Light of Day
1987 · Movie
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1986 · Movie
Crime Story
1986 · Series
The Equalizer
1985 · Series
The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow
Movie
Pig Village
Movie
Road Rage
Movie
Izzi
Movie
Survive the Night
Movie
Scott's Dead
Movie