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