Michael Rooker

Born: 1955-04-06 in Jasper, Alabama, USA

Known For: Acting

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).

Filmography

2025

Superman as Superman Robot #1 (voice)

2021

What If...? as Yondu (voice)
The Suicide Squad as Savant
Marvel Studios Legends as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
F9 as Buddy
Vivo as Lutador (voice)
Clerk as Self
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR as Self

2020

Love and Monsters as Clyde
Fantasy Island as Damon
Dead Talk Live as Self - Guest
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder as Self
The Dark Tower as Elred Jonas

2019

The Righteous Gemstones as Cobb Milsap
Creepshow as Beau
Brightburn as The Big T
Bolden as Pat McMurphy

2018

The Rookie as Frank Teska

2017

SEAL Team as Big Chief
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Yondu
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
Life After Flash as Self

2016

Ride with Norman Reedus as Self
The Belko Experiment as Bud Melks
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed as Self

2015

CelebriD&D as Arnold

2014

True Detective as Edward Hoyt
Guardians of the Galaxy as Yondu Udonta
Elwood as Condello
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half as Himself
The Driving Dead as Trooper

2013

Brother's Keeper as Chief Carver

2012

Rogue River as Gas Attendent
Hypothermia as Ray Pelletier
Pennhurst as Dr. Death

2011

Talking Dead as Self
Mysteria as Captain McCarthy
Cell 213 as Ray Clement

2010

The Walking Dead as Merle Dixon
Super as Abe
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex as Red Doc (voice)
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
The Making of The Walking Dead as Self
Blood Done Sign My Name as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Louis as Pat McMurphy
Atlantis Down as Father / Alien
Matadors as John Canterna

2009

Archer as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
Meteor as Calvin Stark
NSFW Show as Self - Guest
The Marine 2 as Church
Freeway Killer as Det. St. John
Super Capers as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Penance as Mann

2008

Jumper as William Rice
Humanzee! as Priest
This Man's Life as Richard Crummly

2007

Burn Notice as Dale Lawson
Chuck as Mauser
Whisper as Sydney Braverman

2006

Psych as Garth Lawnmore
Shark as Oscar Riddick
Slither as Grant Grant
Thief as Detective John Hayes
Lenexa, 1 Mile as Russ
Repo! The Genetic Opera

2005

Criminal Minds as Chief Carlson
Chasing Ghosts as Mark Spencer
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats as Self
Portrait: The Making of Henry as Self

2004

The Eliminator
Skeleton Man as Captain Leary

2003

Las Vegas as Marcus Wexler
Tremors as Kinney
On Thin Ice as Roger Hopkins
The Box as Detective Stafford
Saving Jessica Lynch as Colonel Curry

2002

CSI: Miami as Marty Jones
Undisputed as A.J. Mercker
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity as Colonel Beckett
The Making of 'Tombstone' as Self

2001

Crossing Jordan as Shawn Curaco
Replicant as Jake

2000

The 6th Day as Robert Marshall
Here on Earth as Malcolm Arnold
Newsbreak as John McNamara
Table One as Rowdy

1999

The Bone Collector as Captain Howard Cheney
Wicked Ways as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan

1998

The Replacement Killers as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Shadow Builder as Father Vassey
Brown's Requiem as Fritz Brown
Renegade Force as Matt Cooper

1997

Stargate SG-1 as Colonel Edwards
Deceiver as Detective Edward Kennesaw
Rosewood as Sheriff Walker
Keys to Tulsa as Keith Michaels
Song of Hiawatha as Bertrand
Meet Wally Sparks as Michael Rooker

1996

Bastard Out of Carolina as Uncle Earle
The Trigger Effect as Gary
Back to Back as Bob Malone

1995

The Outer Limits as Colonel Beckett
Mallrats as Svenning
Johnny and Clyde as Frank Tennant

1994

The Hard Truth as Jonah Mantz
Suspicious as Attendet

1993

Fallen Angels as Babe McCloor
Tombstone as Sherman McMasters
Cliffhanger as Hal Tucker
The Dark Half as Sheriff Alan Pangborn

1992

Afterburn as Casey 'Z' Zankowski

1991

JFK as Bill Broussard

1990

Law & Order as Jamie Yost
Days of Thunder as Rowdy Burns

1989

Sea of Love as Terry
Gideon Oliver as Detective John Quinn
Music Box as Karchy Laszlo
L.A. Takedown as Bosko
The Edge as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)

1988

Above the Law as Man in Bar
Mississippi Burning as Frank Bailey
Eight Men Out as Chick Gandil
Retreads

1987

Light of Day as Oogie
Rent-a-Cop as Joe

1986

Crime Story as Lieutenant
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer as Henry

1985

The Equalizer as Bill Whitaker