Michael Rooker
Acting
🎂 1955-04-06
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).
Cast credits(142)
Chief Carlson
2005
Frank Teska
2018
Jamie Yost
1990
Self
2011
Merle Dixon
2010
Marty Jones
2002
Cobb Milsap
2019
Shawn Curaco
2001
Colonel Edwards
1997
Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
2009
Garth Lawnmore
2006
Edward Hoyt
2014
Big Chief
2017
Bill Whitaker
1985
Mauser
2007
Dale Lawson
2007
Yondu (voice)
2021
Yondu Udonta (voice)
2021
2003
Superman Robot #5 (voice)
2025
Sam (voice)
2024
Lieutenant
1986
Buddy (uncredited)
2023
Colonel Beckett
1995
Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
2006
Calvin Stark
2009
Beau
2019
Kinney
2003
Yondu
2023
Yondu
2017
Babe McCloor
1993
Savant
2021
Self
2016
Detective John Hayes
2006
Buddy
2021
Yondu Udonta
2014
Sherman McMasters
1993
Rowdy Burns
1990
Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
2024
Clyde
2020
Bill Broussard
1991
Yondu
2022
Warden Devlin
2022
Hal Tucker
1993
Frank Bailey
1988
William Rice
2008
Captain Howard Cheney
1999
Lutador (voice)
2021
The Big T
2019
A.J. Mercker
2002
Man in Bar
1988
Robert Marshall
2000
Agent Oldham
2023
Grant Grant
2006
Damon
2020
Sgt. Major Riordan
2024
Gabriel Tancredi
2022
Terry
1989
Bud Melks
2016
Svenning
1995
Chick Gandil
1988
Abe
2010
Self
2010
Self - Guest
2020
Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
1998
Jake
2001
Henry
1986
Self
2016
Detective John Quinn
1989
Arnold
2015
Detective Edward Kennesaw
1997
Sheriff Alan Pangborn
1993
Sydney Braverman
2007
Michael Rooker
1997
Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
2010
Malcolm Arnold
2000
Church
2009
Sheriff Walker
1997
Gary
1996
Karchy Laszlo
1989
Bob Malone
1996
Uncle Earle
1996
Keith Michaels
1997
Oogie
1987
Joe
1987
Ray Clement
2011
Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
1999
Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
2017
Pat McMurphy
2019
Det. St. John
2009
Self
2017
Mann
2009
Red Doc (voice)
2010
2004
Dr. Death
2012
Himself
2005
Mark Spencer
2005
Self
2021
Bosko
1989
Casey 'Z' Zankowski
1992
Father Vassey
1998
Gas Attendent
2012
Captain McCarthy
2011
Bertrand
1997
Steve
Priest
2008
John McNamara
2000
Captain Leary
2004
Defense attorney Billy Watkins
2010
Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
2009
Fritz Brown
1998
Ray Pelletier
2012
Self
2014
Matt Cooper
1998
Chief Carver
2013
Jonah Mantz
1994
Russ
2006
Detective Stafford
2003
Frank Tennant
1995
Colonel Curry
2003
Calvin Stark
2009
Roger Hopkins
2003
Himself
2014
1988
Self
2020
Father / Alien
2010
Rowdy
2000
Pat McMurphy
2010
Colonel Beckett
2002
2017
2006
Condello
2014
The Man with the Answers
Self
2005
John Canterna
2010
Elred Jonas
2020
Self
2021
Attendet
1994
Trooper
2014
Richard Crummly
2008
Stony