
Michael Rooker
Acting
139
Acting Credits
1
Directed
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...
Known For
Filmography

Superman
2025
as Superman Robot #1 (voice)

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
2024
as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2
2024
as Sgt. Major Riordan

Creature Commandos
2024
as Sam (voice)

The Out-Laws
2023
as Agent Oldham

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023
as Yondu

Corrective Measures
2022
as Warden Devlin

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
2022
as Yondu

White Elephant
2022
as Gabriel Tancredi

Peacemaker
2022
as Red St. Wild

Clerk
2021
as Self

The Suicide Squad
2021
as Savant

F9
2021
as Buddy

Vivo
2021
as Lutador (voice)

Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR
2021
as Self

What If...?
2021
as Yondu (voice)

Marvel Studios Legends
2021
as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)

What If...?
2021
as Yondu Udonta (voice)

Fantasy Island
2020
as Damon

Love and Monsters
2020
as Clyde

The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder
2020
as Self
The Dark Tower
2020
as Elred Jonas

Dead Talk Live
2020
as Self - Guest

Bolden
2019
as Pat McMurphy

Brightburn
2019
as The Big T

Creepshow
2019
as Beau

The Righteous Gemstones
2019
as Cobb Milsap

The Rookie
2018
as Frank Teska

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017
as Yondu

The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
2017
as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)

Life After Flash
2017
as Self

SEAL Team
2017
as Big Chief

The Belko Experiment
2016
as Bud Melks

Ride with Norman Reedus
2016
as Self

Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
2016
as Self

CelebriD&D
2015
as Arnold

Guardians of the Galaxy
2014
as Yondu Udonta

Guide to the Galaxy with James Gunn
2014
as Self
The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half
2014
as Himself

The Driving Dead
2014
as Trooper

Elwood
2014
as Condello

True Detective
2014
as Edward Hoyt

Brother's Keeper
2013
as Chief Carver

Rogue River
2012
as Gas Attendent

Hypothermia
2012
as Ray Pelletier

Pennhurst
2012
as Dr. Death

Cell 213
2011
as Ray Clement

Mysteria
2011
as Captain McCarthy

Talking Dead
2011
as Self

DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
2010
as Red Doc (voice)

Super
2010
as Abe
Matadors
2010
as John Canterna

Louis
2010
as Pat McMurphy

Blood Done Sign My Name
2010
as Defense attorney Billy Watkins

Atlantis Down
2010
as Father / Alien

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection
2010
as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)

The Making of The Walking Dead
2010
as Self

The Walking Dead
2010
as Merle Dixon

Super Capers
2009
as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper

Penance
2009
as Mann

Freeway Killer
2009
as Det. St. John

The Marine 2
2009
as Church

Meteor
2009
as Calvin Stark

Archer
2009
as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)

Jumper
2008
as William Rice

Humanzee!
2008
as Priest
This Man's Life
2008
as Richard Crummly

Whisper
2007
as Sydney Braverman

Chuck
2007
as Mauser

Burn Notice
2007
as Dale Lawson

Slither
2006
as Grant Grant

Lenexa, 1 Mile
2006
as Russ

Repo! The Genetic Opera
2006

Shark
2006
as Oscar Riddick

Thief
2006
as Detective John Hayes

Psych
2006
as Garth Lawnmore

Chasing Ghosts
2005
as Mark Spencer

Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats
2005
as Self

Portrait: The Making of Henry
2005
as Self

Criminal Minds
2005
as Chief Carlson

Skeleton Man
2004
as Captain Leary

The Eliminator
2004

The Box
2003
as Detective Stafford

Saving Jessica Lynch
2003
as Colonel Curry

On Thin Ice
2003
as Roger Hopkins

Las Vegas
2003
as Marcus Wexler

Tremors
2003
as Kinney

Undisputed
2002
as A.J. Mercker

The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity
2002
as Colonel Beckett

The Making of 'Tombstone'
2002
as Self

CSI: Miami
2002
as Marty Jones

Replicant
2001
as Jake

Crossing Jordan
2001
as Shawn Curaco

The 6th Day
2000
as Robert Marshall

Here on Earth
2000
as Malcolm Arnold

Table One
2000
as Rowdy

Newsbreak
2000
as John McNamara

The Bone Collector
1999
as Captain Howard Cheney

Wicked Ways
1999
as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan

The Replacement Killers
1998
as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov

Renegade Force
1998
as Matt Cooper

Brown's Requiem
1998
as Fritz Brown

Shadow Builder
1998
as Father Vassey

Rosewood
1997
as Sheriff Walker

Deceiver
1997
as Detective Edward Kennesaw

Keys to Tulsa
1997
as Keith Michaels

Song of Hiawatha
1997
as Bertrand

Meet Wally Sparks
1997
as Michael Rooker

Stargate SG-1
1997
as Colonel Edwards

Back to Back
1996
as Bob Malone

The Trigger Effect
1996
as Gary

Bastard Out of Carolina
1996
as Uncle Earle

Mallrats
1995
as Svenning

Johnny and Clyde
1995
as Frank Tennant

The Outer Limits
1995
as Colonel Beckett

The Hard Truth
1994
as Jonah Mantz

Suspicious
1994
as Attendet

The Dark Half
1993
as Sheriff Alan Pangborn

Tombstone
1993
as Sherman McMasters

Cliffhanger
1993
as Hal Tucker

Fallen Angels
1993
as Babe McCloor

Afterburn
1992
as Casey 'Z' Zankowski

JFK
1991
as Bill Broussard

Days of Thunder
1990
as Rowdy Burns

Law & Order
1990
as Jamie Yost

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)
Gideon Oliver
1989
as Detective John Quinn

Mississippi Burning
1988
as Frank Bailey

Eight Men Out
1988
as Chick Gandil

Retreads
1988

Above the Law
1988
as Man in Bar

Light of Day
1987
as Oogie

Rent-a-Cop
1987
as Joe

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
1986
as Henry

Crime Story
1986
as Lieutenant

The Equalizer
1985
as Bill Whitaker