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).
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Full Filmography
All Credits (132)
The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow
as The Man with the Answers
Pig Village
as Steve
Scott's Dead
as Mitch
Superman
as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
Creature Commandos
as Sam (voice)
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
as Sgt. Major Riordan
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
The Out-Laws
as Agent Oldham
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
as Yondu
White Elephant
as Gabriel Tancredi
Corrective Measures
as Warden Devlin
Peacemaker
as Red St. Wild
What If...?
as Yondu (voice)
What If...?
as Yondu Udonta (voice)
Vivo
as Lutador (voice)
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
as Self
Clerk
as Self
Marvel Studios Legends
as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
as Self
Dead Talk Live
as Self - Guest
Fantasy Island
as Damon
Creepshow
as Beau
The Righteous Gemstones
as Cobb Milsap
Brightburn
as The Big T
Bolden
as Pat McMurphy
The Rookie
as Frank Teska
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
Life After Flash
as Self
SEAL Team
as Big Chief
The Belko Experiment
as Bud Melks
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
as Self
Ride with Norman Reedus
as Self
CelebriD&D
as Arnold
The Driving Dead
as Trooper
Elwood
as Condello
True Detective
as Edward Hoyt
Brother's Keeper
as Chief Carver
Pennhurst
as Dr. Death
Hypothermia
as Ray Pelletier
Rogue River
as Gas Attendent
Mysteria
as Captain McCarthy
Talking Dead
as Self
Cell 213
as Ray Clement
Super
as Abe
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
The Walking Dead
as Merle Dixon
Atlantis Down
as Father / Alien
The Making of The Walking Dead
as Self
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
as Red Doc (voice)
Blood Done Sign My Name
as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Louis
as Pat McMurphy
The Marine 2
as Church
NSFW Show
as Self - Guest
Freeway Killer
as Det. St. John
Archer
as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
Meteor
as Calvin Stark
Penance
as Mann
Super Capers
as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Humanzee!
as Priest
Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story
as Sheriff Haney
Jumper
as William Rice
Whisper
as Sydney Braverman
Chuck
as Mauser
Burn Notice
as Dale Lawson
Shark
as Oscar Riddick
Psych
as Garth Lawnmore
Slither
as Grant Grant
Thief
as Detective John Hayes
Lenexa, 1 Mile
as Russ
Repo! The Genetic Opera
as Unknown
Portrait: The Making of Henry
as Self
Criminal Minds
as Chief Carlson
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
as Self
Chasing Ghosts
as Mark Spencer
The Eliminator
as Unknown
Skeleton Man
as Captain Leary
Saving Jessica Lynch
as Colonel Curry
On Thin Ice
as Roger Hopkins
Las Vegas
as Marcus Wexler
The Box
as Detective Stafford
Tremors
as Kinney
CSI: Miami
as Marty Jones
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
as Colonel Beckett
The Making of 'Tombstone'
as Self
Crossing Jordan
as Shawn Curaco
Replicant
as Jake
The 6th Day
as Robert Marshall
Newsbreak
as John McNamara
Table One
as Rowdy
Here on Earth
as Malcolm Arnold
Wicked Ways
as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
The Bone Collector
as Captain Howard Cheney
Renegade Force
as Matt Cooper
Brown's Requiem
as Fritz Brown
Shadow Builder
as Father Vassey
The Replacement Killers
as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Deceiver
as Detective Edward Kennesaw
Stargate SG-1
as Colonel Edwards
Song of Hiawatha
as Bertrand
Keys to Tulsa
as Keith Michaels
Rosewood
as Sheriff Walker
Meet Wally Sparks
as Michael Rooker
Bastard Out of Carolina
as Uncle Earle
The Trigger Effect
as Gary
Back to Back
as Bob Malone
Mallrats
as Svenning
The Outer Limits
as Colonel Beckett
Johnny and Clyde
as Frank Tennant
The Hard Truth
as Jonah Mantz
Suspicious
as Attendant
Tombstone
as Sherman McMasters
Fallen Angels
as Babe McCloor
Cliffhanger
as Hal Tucker
The Dark Half
as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
as Self
Afterburn
as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
JFK
as Bill Broussard
Law & Order
as Jamie Yost
Days of Thunder
as Rowdy Burns
Music Box
as Karchy Laszlo
Sea of Love
as Terry
L.A. Takedown
as Bosko
The Edge
as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
Mississippi Burning
as Frank Bailey
Eight Men Out
as Chick Gandil
Above the Law
as Man in Bar
Retreads
as Unknown
Rent-a-Cop
as Joe
Light of Day
as Oogie
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
as Henry
Crime Story
as Lieutenant
The Equalizer
as Bill Whitaker