Michael Rooker

ActorDirectorProduction Apr 6 (age 70) Jasper, Alabama, USA 1985–2026 (41 year career)

5.8 avg rating

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

Film

Guardians of the Galaxy

Yondu Udonta

Film

The Walking Dead

Merle Dixon

Film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Yondu

Film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Yondu

Film

The Suicide Squad

Savant

Film

F9

Buddy

Film

Superman

Superman Robot #1 (voice)

Film

Love and Monsters

Clyde

Filmography

Acting (142)

Movies (107)

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2

2026 Upcoming

as Sgt. Major Riordan

Jun 4

Superman

2025

as Superman Robot #1 (voice)

7.3

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1

2024

as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan

6.8

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

as Yondu

The Out-Laws

as Agent Oldham

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

as Yondu

White Elephant

as Gabriel Tancredi

Corrective Measures

as Warden Devlin

The Suicide Squad

as Savant

as Buddy

Vivo

as Lutador (voice)

Clerk

as Self

Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR

2021

as Self

2.0

The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder

as Self

Fantasy Island

as Damon

Love and Monsters

as Clyde

The Dark Tower

as Elred Jonas

Brightburn

as The Big T

Bolden

as Pat McMurphy

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

as Yondu

Life After Flash

as Self

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

2017

as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)

7.2

The Belko Experiment

2016

as Bud Melks

6.2

Guardians of the Galaxy

as Yondu Udonta

The Driving Dead

as Trooper

Elwood

as Condello

Guide to the Galaxy with James Gunn

2014

as Self

7.5

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

as Himself

Brother's Keeper

as Chief Carver

Rogue River

as Gas Attendent

Pennhurst

as Dr. Death

Hypothermia

as Ray Pelletier

Mysteria

as Captain McCarthy

Cell 213

as Ray Clement

Super

as Abe

The Making of The Walking Dead

as Self

Louis

as Pat McMurphy

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection

2010

as Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)

7.1

Matadors

2010

as John Canterna

6.0

DC Showcase: Jonah Hex

as Red Doc (voice)

Atlantis Down

as Father / Alien

Blood Done Sign My Name

2010

as Defense attorney Billy Watkins

The Marine 2

as Church

Penance

as Mann

Super Capers

as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper

Freeway Killer

as Det. St. John

Jumper

as William Rice

This Man's Life

as Richard Crummly

Humanzee!

as Priest

Whisper

as Sydney Braverman

Slither

as Grant Grant

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Lenexa, 1 Mile

as Russ

Portrait: The Making of Henry

as Self

Chasing Ghosts

as Mark Spencer

Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats

as Himself

Skeleton Man

as Captain Leary

The Eliminator

Saving Jessica Lynch

as Colonel Curry

On Thin Ice

as Roger Hopkins

The Box

as Detective Stafford

3.8

Undisputed

2002

as A.J. Mercker

6.5

The Making of 'Tombstone'

2002

as Self

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

as Colonel Beckett

Replicant

as Jake

The 6th Day

as Robert Marshall

Newsbreak

as John McNamara

Here on Earth

as Malcolm Arnold

Table One

as Rowdy

The Bone Collector

as Captain Howard Cheney

6.8

Wicked Ways

1999

as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan

5.3

The Replacement Killers

1998

as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov

Renegade Force

as Matt Cooper

Brown's Requiem

as Fritz Brown

Shadow Builder

as Father Vassey

Meet Wally Sparks

as Michael Rooker

Rosewood

as Sheriff Walker

Deceiver

as Detective Edward Kennesaw

Song of Hiawatha

as Bertrand

Keys to Tulsa

as Keith Michaels

Bastard Out of Carolina

as Uncle Earle

The Trigger Effect

as Gary

Back to Back

as Bob Malone

Mallrats

as Svenning

Johnny and Clyde

as Frank Tennant

The Hard Truth

as Jonah Mantz

Suspicious

as Attendet

Tombstone

as Sherman McMasters

Cliffhanger

as Hal Tucker

The Dark Half

as Sheriff Alan Pangborn

6.0

Afterburn

1992

as Casey 'Z' Zankowski

JFK

as Bill Broussard

Days of Thunder

as Rowdy Burns

Sea of Love

as Terry

The Edge

as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)

Music Box

as Karchy Laszlo

L.A. Takedown

as Bosko

Mississippi Burning

as Frank Bailey

Above the Law

as Man in Bar

Retreads

Eight Men Out

as Chick Gandil

Light of Day

as Oogie

Rent-a-Cop

as Joe

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

1986

as Henry

6.7

Pig Village

as Steve

Road Rage

as Stony

The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow

as The Man with the Answers

Television (35)

Creature Commandos

as Sam (voice)

Peacemaker

as Red St. Wild

What If...?

as Yondu Udonta (voice)

8.1

Marvel Studios Legends

2021

as Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.4

Dead Talk Live

2020

as Self - Guest

9.0

The Righteous Gemstones

as Cobb Milsap

Creepshow

as Beau

The Rookie

as Frank Teska

SEAL Team

as Big Chief

Ride with Norman Reedus

2016

as Self

7.3

Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed

2016

as Self

CelebriD&D

as Arnold

True Detective

as Edward Hoyt

Talking Dead

as Self

The Walking Dead

as Merle Dixon

The Walking Dead

as Merle Dixon

Archer

as Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)

Meteor

as Calvin Stark

Chuck

as Mauser

Burn Notice

as Dale Lawson

Psych

as Garth Lawnmore

Shark

as Oscar Riddick

Thief

as Detective John Hayes

Criminal Minds

as Chief Carlson

Las Vegas

as Marcus Wexler

Tremors

as Kinney

CSI: Miami

as Marty Jones

Crossing Jordan

as Shawn Curaco

Stargate SG-1

as Colonel Edwards

The Outer Limits

as Colonel Beckett

Fallen Angels

as Babe McCloor

Law & Order

as Jamie Yost

Gideon Oliver

as Detective John Quinn

Crime Story

as Lieutenant

The Equalizer

as Bill Whitaker

Crew (3)

Movies (3)

Pennhurst

2012

Director

3.1

Wicked Ways

1999

Co-Executive Producer

5.3

Brown's Requiem

1998

Associate Producer

4.4