About

Known credits:
115
Birthday:
1955-04-06
Place of birth:
Jasper, Alabama, USA
Website:
Click here

Michael Rooker

Overview

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).

Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Rooker, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2025 Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 Actor Sgt. Major Riordan 59
Average
2024 Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 Actor Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan 63
Fair
2023 The Out-Laws Actor Agent Oldham 59
Average
2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Actor Yondu 78
Good
2022 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Actor Yondu 68
Fair
2022 White Elephant Actor Gabriel Tancredi 59
Average
2022 Corrective Measures Actor Warden Devlin 57
Average
2021 Vivo Actor Lutador (voice) 67
Fair
2021 The Suicide Squad Actor Savant 74
Good
2021 Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR Actor Self N/A
N/A
2021 F9 Actor Buddy 69
Fair
2021 Clerk Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Love and Monsters Actor Clyde 71
Good
2020 The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Dead Talk Live Actor Self - Guest 69
Fair
2020 Fantasy Island Actor Damon 58
Average
2019 Brightburn Actor The Big T 60
Fair
2019 Bolden Actor Pat McMurphy 58
Average
2017 The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking Actor Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice) 60
Fair
2017 Life After Flash Actor Self 58
Average
2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Actor Yondu 75
Good
2016 Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed Actor Self N/A
N/A
2016 The Belko Experiment Actor Bud Melks 61
Fair
2014 Guide to the Galaxy with James Gunn Actor Self 59
Average
2014 The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2014 Asylum of the Dead Actor N/A
N/A
2014 The Driving Dead Actor Trooper N/A
N/A
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy Actor Yondu Udonta 78
Good
2013 Asylum of the Dead Actor Dr. Death 59
Average
2013 Brother's Keeper Actor Chief Carver 59
Average
2012 Pennhurst Actor Dr. Death 58
Average
2012 Hypothermia Actor Ray Pelletier 57
Average
2012 Rogue River Actor Gas Attendent 57
Average
2011 Mysteria Actor Captain McCarthy 58
Average
2011 Cell 213 Actor Ray Clement 58
Average
2010 Super Actor Abe 63
Fair
2010 DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection Actor Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice) 59
Average
2010 Atlantis Down Actor Father / Alien 58
Average
2010 The Making of The Walking Dead Actor Self 63
Fair
2010 DC Showcase: Jonah Hex Actor Red Doc (voice) 61
Fair
2010 Blood Done Sign My Name Actor Defense attorney Billy Watkins 58
Average
2010 Matadors Actor John Canterna 59
Average
2010 Louis Actor Pat McMurphy N/A
N/A
2009 The Marine 2 Actor Church 58
Average
2009 Freeway Killer Actor Det. St. John 58
Average
2009 Meteor Actor Calvin Stark 66
Fair
2009 Penance Actor Mann 57
Average
2009 Super Capers Actor Judge / Dark Winged Vesper 58
Average
2008 Humanzee! Actor Priest 58
Average
2008 This Man's Life Actor Richard Crummly N/A
N/A
2008 Jumper Actor William Rice 61
Fair
2007 Whisper Actor Sydney Braverman 60
Fair
2006 Slither Actor Grant Grant 63
Fair
2006 Thief Actor Detective John Hayes 69
Fair
2006 Lenexa, 1 Mile Actor Russ 58
Average
2006 Repo! The Genetic Opera Actor Repo Man 59
Average
2005 Portrait: The Making of Henry Actor Self 59
Average
2005 Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats Actor Himself N/A
N/A
2005 Chasing Ghosts Actor Mark Spencer 58
Average
2004 The Eliminator Actor 58
Average
2004 Skeleton Man Actor Captain Leary 57
Average
2003 Saving Jessica Lynch Actor Colonel Curry 58
Average
2003 On Thin Ice Actor Roger Hopkins 58
Average
2003 The Box - 2003 Actor Detective Stafford 58
Average
2002 The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity Actor Colonel Beckett 59
Average
2002 Undisputed Actor A.J. Mercker 62
Fair
2001 The 6th Day: The Future Is Coming Actor Self N/A
N/A
2001 Replicant Actor Jake 58
Average
2000 The 6th Day Actor Robert Marshall 59
Average
2000 Newsbreak Actor John McNamara N/A
N/A
2000 Here on Earth Actor Malcolm Arnold 58
Average
2000 Table One Actor Rowdy 59
Average
1999 Wicked Ways Actor Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan 58
Average
1999 The Bone Collector Actor Captain Howard Cheney 66
Fair
1998 Renegade Force Actor Matt Cooper 58
Average
1998 Brown's Requiem Actor Fritz Brown 58
Average
1998 Shadow Builder Actor Father Vassey 58
Average
1998 The Replacement Killers Actor Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov 60
Fair
1997 Deceiver Actor Detective Edward Kennesaw 59
Average
1997 Song of Hiawatha Actor Bertrand 58
Average
1997 Keys to Tulsa Actor Keith Michaels 58
Average
1997 Rosewood Actor Sheriff Walker 60
Fair
1997 Meet Wally Sparks Actor Michael Rooker 58
Average
1996 Bastard Out of Carolina Actor Uncle Earle 60
Fair
1996 The Trigger Effect Actor Gary 58
Average
1996 Back to Back Actor Bob Malone 58
Average
1995 Mallrats Actor Svenning 65
Fair
1995 Johnny and Clyde Actor Frank Tennant 58
Average
1994 The Hard Truth Actor Jonah Mantz 58
Average
1994 Suspicious Actor Attendet 59
Average
1993 Tombstone Actor Sherman McMasters 72
Good
1993 Cliffhanger Actor Hal Tucker 63
Fair
1993 The Dark Half Actor Sheriff Alan Pangborn 59
Average
1992 Afterburn Actor Casey 'Z' Zankowski 58
Average
1991 JFK Actor Bill Broussard 72
Good
1990 Days of Thunder Actor Rowdy Burns 62
Fair
1989 Music Box Actor Karchy Laszlo 61
Fair
1989 Sea of Love Actor Terry 62
Fair
1989 L.A. Takedown Actor Bosko 58
Average
1988 Mississippi Burning Actor Frank Bailey 72
Good
1988 Eight Men Out Actor Chick Gandil 62
Fair
1988 Above the Law Actor Man in Bar 60
Fair
1988 Retreads Actor N/A
N/A
1987 Rent-a-Cop Actor Joe 58
Average
1987 Light of Day Actor Oogie 58
Average
1986 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Actor Henry 63
Fair
The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow Actor The Man with the Answers N/A
N/A
Meteor Actor Calvin Stark N/A
N/A
Road Rage Actor Stony N/A
N/A

Directing
2014 Asylum of the Dead Directing Director N/A
N/A
2013 Asylum of the Dead Directing Director 59
Average
2012 Pennhurst Directing Director 58
Average

Production
2014 Asylum of the Dead Production Producer N/A
N/A
1999 Wicked Ways Production Co-Executive Producer 58
Average
1998 Brown's Requiem Production Associate Producer 58
Average