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