Acting · Jasper, Alabama, USA · Born April 6, 1955
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).
MovieSuperman
2025
as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
TVCreature Commandos
2024
as Sam (voice)
MovieHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
2024
as Sgt. Major Riordan
MovieHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
2024
as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
MovieThe Out-Laws
2023
as Agent Oldham
MovieGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023
as Yondu
MovieThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
2022
as Yondu
MovieWhite Elephant
2022
as Gabriel Tancredi
MovieCorrective Measures
2022
as Warden Devlin
TVPeacemaker
2022
as Red St. Wild
TVWhat If...?
2021
as Yondu (voice)
MovieVivo
2021
as Lutador (voice)
MovieThe Suicide Squad
2021
as Savant
MovieRenegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
2021
as Self
MovieF9
2021
as Buddy
MovieClerk
2021
as Self
TVMarvel Studios Legends
2021
as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieLove and Monsters
2020
as Clyde
MovieThe Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
2020
as Self
TVDead Talk Live
2020
as Self - Guest
The Dark Tower
2020
as Elred Jonas
MovieFantasy Island
2020
as Damon
TVCreepshow
2019
as Beau
TVThe Righteous Gemstones
2019
as Cobb Milsap
MovieBrightburn
2019
as The Big T
MovieBolden
2019
as Pat McMurphy
TVThe Rookie
2018
as Frank Teska
MovieThe Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
2017
as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
MovieLife After Flash
2017
as Self
TVSEAL Team
2017
as Big Chief
MovieGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017
as Yondu
MovieThe Belko Experiment
2017
as Bud Melks
TVUnlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
2016
as Self
TVRide with Norman Reedus
2016
as Self
TVCelebriD&D
2015
as Arnold
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half
2014
as Himself
MovieThe Driving Dead
2014
as Trooper
MovieGuardians of the Galaxy
2014
as Yondu Udonta
MovieElwood
2014
as Condello
TVTrue Detective
2014
as Edward Hoyt
MovieBrother's Keeper
2013
as Chief Carver
MoviePennhurst
2012
as Dr. Death
MovieHypothermia
2012
as Ray Pelletier
MovieRogue River
2012
as Gas Attendent
MovieMysteria
2011
as Captain McCarthy
TVTalking Dead
2011
as Self
MovieCell 213
2011
as Ray Clement
MovieSuper
2010
as Abe
MovieDC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
2010
as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
TVThe Walking Dead
2010
as Merle Dixon
MovieAtlantis Down
2010
as Father / Alien
MovieThe Making of The Walking Dead
2010
as Self
MovieDC Showcase: Jonah Hex
2010
as Red Doc (voice)
MovieBlood Done Sign My Name
2010
as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Matadors
2010
as John Canterna
MovieLouis
2010
as Pat McMurphy
MovieThe Marine 2
2009
as Church
TVNSFW Show
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieFreeway Killer
2009
as Det. St. John
TVArcher
2009
as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
TVMeteor
2009
as Calvin Stark
MoviePenance
2009
as Mann
MovieSuper Capers
2009
as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
MovieHumanzee!
2008
as Priest
This Man's Life
2008
as Richard Crummly
MovieJumper
2008
as William Rice
MovieWhisper
2007
as Sydney Braverman
TVChuck
2007
as Mauser
TVBurn Notice
2007
as Dale Lawson
TVShark
2006
as Oscar Riddick
TVPsych
2006
as Garth Lawnmore
MovieSlither
2006
as Grant Grant
TVThief
2006
as Detective John Hayes
MovieLenexa, 1 Mile
2006
as Russ
MovieRepo! The Genetic Opera
2006
MoviePortrait: The Making of Henry
2005
as Self
TVCriminal Minds
2005
as Chief Carlson
MovieErection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
2005
as Self
MovieChasing Ghosts
2005
as Mark Spencer
MovieThe Eliminator
2004
MovieSkeleton Man
2004
as Captain Leary
MovieSaving Jessica Lynch
2003
as Colonel Curry
MovieOn Thin Ice
2003
as Roger Hopkins
TVLas Vegas
2003
as Marcus Wexler
MovieThe Box
2003
as Detective Stafford
TVTremors
2003
as Kinney
TVCSI: Miami
2002
as Marty Jones
MovieThe Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
2002
as Colonel Beckett
MovieUndisputed
2002
as A.J. Mercker
MovieThe Making of 'Tombstone'
2002
as Self
TVCrossing Jordan
2001
as Shawn Curaco
MovieReplicant
2001
as Jake
MovieThe 6th Day
2000
as Robert Marshall
MovieNewsbreak
2000
as John McNamara
MovieTable One
2000
as Rowdy
MovieHere on Earth
2000
as Malcolm Arnold
MovieWicked Ways
1999
as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
MovieThe Bone Collector
1999
as Captain Howard Cheney
MovieRenegade Force
1998
as Matt Cooper
MovieBrown's Requiem
1998
as Fritz Brown
MovieShadow Builder
1998
as Father Vassey
MovieThe Replacement Killers
1998
as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
MovieDeceiver
1997
as Detective Edward Kennesaw
TVStargate SG-1
1997
as Colonel Edwards
MovieSong of Hiawatha
1997
as Bertrand
MovieKeys to Tulsa
1997
as Keith Michaels
MovieRosewood
1997
as Sheriff Walker
MovieMeet Wally Sparks
1997
as Michael Rooker
MovieBastard Out of Carolina
1996
as Uncle Earle
MovieThe Trigger Effect
1996
as Gary
MovieBack to Back
1996
as Bob Malone
MovieMallrats
1995
as Svenning
TVThe Outer Limits
1995
as Colonel Beckett
MovieJohnny and Clyde
1995
as Frank Tennant
MovieThe Hard Truth
1994
as Jonah Mantz
MovieSuspicious
1994
as Attendant
MovieTombstone
1993
as Sherman McMasters
TVFallen Angels
1993
as Babe McCloor
MovieCliffhanger
1993
as Hal Tucker
MovieThe Dark Half
1993
as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
MovieAfterburn
1992
as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
MovieJFK
1991
as Bill Broussard
TVLaw & Order
1990
as Jamie Yost
MovieDays of Thunder
1990
as Rowdy Burns
MovieMusic Box
1989
as Karchy Laszlo
MovieSea of Love
1989
as Terry
MovieL.A. Takedown
1989
as Bosko
MovieThe Edge
1989
as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
Gideon Oliver
1989
as Detective John Quinn
MovieMississippi Burning
1988
as Frank Bailey
MovieEight Men Out
1988
as Chick Gandil
MovieAbove the Law
1988
as Man in Bar
MovieRetreads
1988
MovieRent-a-Cop
1987
as Joe
MovieLight of Day
1987
as Oogie
MovieHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1986
as Henry
TVCrime Story
1986
as Lieutenant
TVThe Equalizer
1985
as Bill Whitaker
Road Rage
as Stony
MovieThe Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow
as The Man with the Answers
MoviePig Village
as Steve
Izzi
as Sheriff Blackstone
MovieStallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
as Self
Survive the Night
