Michael Rooker
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- April 6, 1955
- Birthplace
- Jasper, Alabama, USA
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).
Filmography
Scott's Dead TBA
as Mitch
- Survive the Night
Survive the Night TBA
Actor
- Izzi
Izzi TBA
as Sheriff Blackstone
Pig Village TBA
as Steve
The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow TBA
as The Man with the Answers
- Road Rage
Road Rage TBA
as Stony
Superman 2025
as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 2024
as Sgt. Major Riordan
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 2024
as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
The Out-Laws 2023
as Agent Oldham
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023
as Yondu
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special 2022
as Yondu
White Elephant 2022
as Gabriel Tancredi
Corrective Measures 2022
as Warden Devlin
Vivo 2021
as Lutador (voice)
The Suicide Squad 2021
as Savant
Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR 2021
as Self
F9 2021
as Buddy
Clerk 2021
as Self
Love and Monsters 2020
as Clyde
The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder 2020
as Self
- The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower 2020
as Elred Jonas
Fantasy Island 2020
as Damon
Brightburn 2019
as The Big T
Bolden 2019
as Pat McMurphy
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking 2017
as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
Life After Flash 2017
as Self
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 2017
as Yondu
The Belko Experiment 2017
as Bud Melks
- The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half 2014
as Himself
The Driving Dead 2014
as Trooper
Guardians of the Galaxy 2014
as Yondu Udonta
Elwood 2014
as Condello
Brother's Keeper 2013
as Chief Carver
Pennhurst 2012
as Dr. Death, Director
Hypothermia 2012
as Ray Pelletier
Rogue River 2012
as Gas Attendent
Mysteria 2011
as Captain McCarthy
Cell 213 2011
as Ray Clement
Super 2010
as Abe
DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection 2010
as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
Atlantis Down 2010
as Father / Alien
The Making of The Walking Dead 2010
as Self
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex 2010
as Red Doc (voice)
Blood Done Sign My Name 2010
as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
Louis 2010
as Pat McMurphy
- Matadors
Matadors 2010
as John Canterna
The Marine 2 2009
as Church
Freeway Killer 2009
as Det. St. John
Penance 2009
as Mann
Super Capers 2009
as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Humanzee! 2008
as Priest
Repo! The Genetic Opera 2008
Thanks
Hope & Redemption: The Lena Baker Story 2008
as Sheriff Haney
- This Man's Life
This Man's Life 2008
as Richard Crummly
Jumper 2008
as William Rice
Whisper 2007
as Sydney Braverman
Slither 2006
as Grant Grant
Lenexa, 1 Mile 2006
as Russ
Repo! The Genetic Opera 2006
Actor
Portrait: The Making of Henry 2005
as Self
Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats 2005
as Self
Chasing Ghosts 2005
as Mark Spencer
The Eliminator 2004
Actor
Skeleton Man 2004
as Captain Leary
Saving Jessica Lynch 2003
as Colonel Curry
On Thin Ice 2003
as Roger Hopkins
The Box 2003
as Detective Stafford
The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity 2002
as Colonel Beckett
Undisputed 2002
as A.J. Mercker
The Making of 'Tombstone' 2002
as Self
Replicant 2001
as Jake
The 6th Day 2000
as Robert Marshall
Newsbreak 2000
as John McNamara
Table One 2000
as Rowdy
Here on Earth 2000
as Malcolm Arnold
Wicked Ways 1999
as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan, Co-Executive Producer
The Bone Collector 1999
as Captain Howard Cheney
Renegade Force 1998
as Matt Cooper
Shadow Builder 1998
as Father Vassey
Brown's Requiem 1998
as Fritz Brown, Associate Producer
The Replacement Killers 1998
as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Deceiver 1997
as Detective Edward Kennesaw
Song of Hiawatha 1997
as Bertrand
Keys to Tulsa 1997
as Keith Michaels
Rosewood 1997
as Sheriff Walker
Meet Wally Sparks 1997
as Michael Rooker
Bastard Out of Carolina 1996
as Uncle Earle
The Trigger Effect 1996
as Gary
Back to Back 1996
as Bob Malone
Mallrats 1995
as Svenning
Johnny and Clyde 1995
as Frank Tennant
The Hard Truth 1994
as Jonah Mantz
Suspicious 1994
as Attendant
Tombstone 1993
as Sherman McMasters
Cliffhanger 1993
as Hal Tucker
The Dark Half 1993
as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger 1993
as Self
Afterburn 1992
as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
JFK 1991
as Bill Broussard
Days of Thunder 1990
as Rowdy Burns
Music Box 1989
as Karchy Laszlo
Sea of Love 1989
as Terry
L.A. Takedown 1989
as Bosko
The Edge 1989
as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
Mississippi Burning 1988
as Frank Bailey
Eight Men Out 1988
as Chick Gandil
Above the Law 1988
as Man in Bar
Retreads 1988
Actor
Rent-a-Cop 1987
as Joe
Light of Day 1987
as Oogie
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1986
as Henry
Credits from TMDB.