Michael Rooker

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Birthdate

1955-04-06 (Age: 71)

Place of Birth

Jasper, Alabama, USA

Michael Rooker

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 (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 (103)

⭐ 7.3 Role: Superman Robot #1 (voice)

Superman

⭐ 7.5 Role: Sgt. Major Riordan

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2

⭐ 6.8 Role: Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1

⭐ 6.0 Role: Agent Oldham

The Out-Laws

⭐ 7.9 Role: Yondu

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

⭐ 7.1 Role: Yondu

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

⭐ 5.8 Role: Gabriel Tancredi

White Elephant

⭐ 5.0 Role: Warden Devlin

Corrective Measures

⭐ 7.3 Role: Lutador (voice)

Vivo

⭐ 7.5 Role: Savant

The Suicide Squad

⭐ 2.0 Role: Self

Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR

⭐ 7.0 Role: Buddy

F9

⭐ 6.2 Role: Self

Clerk

⭐ 7.3 Role: Clyde

Love and Monsters

⭐ 7.0 Role: Self

The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder

⭐ 2.0 Role: Elred Jonas

The Dark Tower

⭐ 5.8 Role: Damon

Fantasy Island

⭐ 6.2 Role: The Big T

Brightburn

⭐ 4.2 Role: Pat McMurphy

Bolden

⭐ 7.2 Role: Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)

The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking

⭐ 5.7 Role: Self

Life After Flash

⭐ 7.6 Role: Yondu

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

⭐ 6.2 Role: Bud Melks

The Belko Experiment

⭐ 2.0 Role: Himself

The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half

⭐ 2.0 Role: Trooper

The Driving Dead

⭐ 7.9 Role: Yondu Udonta

Guardians of the Galaxy

⭐ 2.3 Role: Condello

Elwood

⭐ 5.1 Role: Chief Carver

Brother's Keeper

⭐ 3.1 Role: Dr. Death

Pennhurst

⭐ 3.9 Role: Ray Pelletier

Hypothermia

⭐ 4.8 Role: Gas Attendent

Rogue River

⭐ 3.9 Role: Captain McCarthy

Mysteria

⭐ 5.1 Role: Ray Clement

Cell 213

⭐ 6.5 Role: Abe

Super

⭐ 7.1 Role: Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection

⭐ 2.7 Role: Father / Alien

Atlantis Down

⭐ 7.9 Role: Self

The Making of The Walking Dead

⭐ 7.0 Role: Red Doc (voice)

DC Showcase: Jonah Hex

⭐ 5.6 Role: Defense attorney Billy Watkins

Blood Done Sign My Name

⭐ 6.0 Role: John Canterna

Matadors

⭐ 3.5 Role: Pat McMurphy

Louis

⭐ 5.9 Role: Church

The Marine 2

⭐ 4.6 Role: Det. St. John

Freeway Killer

⭐ 3.6 Role: Mann

Penance

⭐ 3.6 Role: Judge / Dark Winged Vesper

Super Capers

⭐ 4.9 Role: Priest

Humanzee!

⭐ 2.0 Role: Richard Crummly

This Man's Life

⭐ 6.2 Role: William Rice

Jumper

⭐ 6.3 Role: Sydney Braverman

Whisper

⭐ 6.5 Role: Grant Grant

Slither

⭐ 4.5 Role: Russ

Lenexa, 1 Mile

⭐ 3.5 Role: Unknown

Repo! The Genetic Opera

⭐ 7.2 Role: Self

Portrait: The Making of Henry

⭐ 2.0 Role: Self

Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats

⭐ 5.6 Role: Mark Spencer

Chasing Ghosts

⭐ 4.6 Role: Unknown

The Eliminator

⭐ 3.3 Role: Captain Leary

Skeleton Man

⭐ 4.6 Role: Colonel Curry

Saving Jessica Lynch

⭐ 5.2 Role: Roger Hopkins

On Thin Ice

⭐ 4.5 Role: Detective Stafford

The Box

⭐ 6.0 Role: Colonel Beckett

The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity

⭐ 6.5 Role: A.J. Mercker

Undisputed

⭐ 8.0 Role: Self

The Making of 'Tombstone'

⭐ 5.8 Role: Jake

Replicant

⭐ 6.0 Role: Robert Marshall

The 6th Day

⭐ 5.5 Role: John McNamara

Newsbreak

⭐ 4.0 Role: Rowdy

Table One

⭐ 5.8 Role: Malcolm Arnold

Here on Earth

⭐ 5.3 Role: Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan

Wicked Ways

⭐ 6.8 Role: Captain Howard Cheney

The Bone Collector

⭐ 5.6 Role: Matt Cooper

Renegade Force

⭐ 4.7 Role: Fritz Brown

Brown's Requiem

⭐ 4.8 Role: Father Vassey

Shadow Builder

⭐ 6.3 Role: Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov

The Replacement Killers

⭐ 6.0 Role: Detective Edward Kennesaw

Deceiver

⭐ 7.0 Role: Bertrand

Song of Hiawatha

⭐ 4.8 Role: Keith Michaels

Keys to Tulsa

⭐ 6.5 Role: Sheriff Walker

Rosewood

⭐ 4.8 Role: Michael Rooker

Meet Wally Sparks

⭐ 7.2 Role: Uncle Earle

Bastard Out of Carolina

⭐ 5.9 Role: Gary

The Trigger Effect

⭐ 5.5 Role: Bob Malone

Back to Back

⭐ 6.8 Role: Svenning

Mallrats

⭐ 4.5 Role: Frank Tennant

Johnny and Clyde

⭐ 3.7 Role: Jonah Mantz

The Hard Truth

⭐ 5.0 Role: Attendet

Suspicious

⭐ 7.6 Role: Sherman McMasters

Tombstone

⭐ 6.5 Role: Hal Tucker

Cliffhanger

⭐ 6.0 Role: Sheriff Alan Pangborn

The Dark Half

⭐ 4.4 Role: Casey 'Z' Zankowski

Afterburn

⭐ 7.6 Role: Bill Broussard

JFK

⭐ 6.4 Role: Rowdy Burns

Days of Thunder

⭐ 7.1 Role: Karchy Laszlo

Music Box

⭐ 6.6 Role: Terry

Sea of Love

⭐ 5.5 Role: Bosko

L.A. Takedown

⭐ 4.7 Role: Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)

The Edge

⭐ 7.7 Role: Frank Bailey

Mississippi Burning

⭐ 6.9 Role: Chick Gandil

Eight Men Out

⭐ 6.1 Role: Man in Bar

Above the Law

⭐ 6.0 Role: Unknown

Retreads

⭐ 4.8 Role: Joe

Rent-a-Cop

⭐ 5.6 Role: Oogie

Light of Day

⭐ 6.7 Role: Henry

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer