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