Michael Rooker

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).

Michael Rooker is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 30 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (2024), The Out-Laws (2023), The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022), White Elephant (2022), Vivo (2021), The Suicide Squad (2021), F9 (2021), Love and Monsters (2020). The recorded credits span 1990 to 2024, including 29 movies and 1 TV show.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.