Biography
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 (2010β2013) 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 directorΒ 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 inΒ 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).
Filmography (143)
Superman
2025
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
2024
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
2024
Creature Commandos
2024
The Out-Laws
2023
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023
Corrective Measures
2022
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
2022
White Elephant
2022
Peacemaker
2022
Clerk
2021
The Suicide Squad
2021
F9
2021
Vivo
2021
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
2021
What If...?
2021
Marvel Studios Legends
2021
Fantasy Island
2020
Love and Monsters
2020
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
2020
The Dark Tower
2020
Dead Talk Live
2020
Bolden
2019
Brightburn
2019
Creepshow
2019
The Righteous Gemstones
2019
The Rookie
2018
The Belko Experiment
2017
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
2017
Life After Flash
2017
SEAL Team
2017
Ride with Norman Reedus
2016
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
2016
CelebriD&D
2015
Guardians of the Galaxy
2014
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half
2014
The Driving Dead
2014
Elwood
2014
True Detective
2014
Brother's Keeper
2013
Rogue River
2012
Hypothermia
2012
Pennhurst
2012
Cell 213
2011
Mysteria
2011
Talking Dead
2011
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
2010
Super
2010
Matadors
2010
Louis
2010
Blood Done Sign My Name
2010
Atlantis Down
2010
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
2010
The Making of The Walking Dead
2010
The Walking Dead
2010
Super Capers
2009
Penance
2009
Freeway Killer
2009
The Marine 2
2009
Meteor
2009
Archer
2009
NSFW Show
2009
Jumper
2008
Humanzee!
2008
This Man's Life
2008
Whisper
2007
Chuck
2007
Burn Notice
2007
Slither
2006
Lenexa, 1 Mile
2006
Repo! The Genetic Opera
2006
Shark
2006
Psych
2006
Thief
2006
Chasing Ghosts
2005
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
2005
Portrait: The Making of Henry
2005
Criminal Minds
2005
Skeleton Man
2004
The Eliminator
2004
The Box
2003
Saving Jessica Lynch
2003
On Thin Ice
2003
Las Vegas
2003
Tremors
2003
Undisputed
2002
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
2002
The Making of 'Tombstone'
2002
CSI: Miami
2002
Replicant
2001
Crossing Jordan
2001
The 6th Day
2000
Here on Earth
2000
Table One
2000
Newsbreak
2000
The Bone Collector
1999
Wicked Ways
1999
The Replacement Killers
1998
Renegade Force
1998
Brown's Requiem
1998
Shadow Builder
1998
Rosewood
1997
Deceiver
1997
Keys to Tulsa
1997
Song of Hiawatha
1997
Meet Wally Sparks
1997
Stargate SG-1
1997
Back to Back
1996
The Trigger Effect
1996
Bastard Out of Carolina
1996
Mallrats
1995
Johnny and Clyde
1995
The Outer Limits
1995
The Hard Truth
1994
Suspicious
1994
The Dark Half
1993
Tombstone
1993
Cliffhanger
1993
Fallen Angels
1993
Afterburn
1992
JFK
1991
Days of Thunder
1990
Law & Order
1990
Music Box
1989
Sea of Love
1989
L.A. Takedown
1989
The Edge
1989
Gideon Oliver
1989
Mississippi Burning
1988
Eight Men Out
1988
Retreads
1988
Above the Law
1988
Light of Day
1987
Rent-a-Cop
1987
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1986
Crime Story
1986
The Equalizer
1985
Road Rage
The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow
Pig Village
Izzi
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
English
EspaΓ±ol
Russian
