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

• 2025Superman — Superman Robot #1 (voice)
• Creature Commandos — Sam (voice)
• 2024Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 — Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
• 2024Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 — Sgt. Major Riordan
• 2023Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — Yondu
• 2023The Out-Laws — Agent Oldham
• 2022Corrective Measures — Warden Devlin
• Peacemaker — Red St. Wild
• 2022The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special — Yondu
• 2022White Elephant — Gabriel Tancredi
• 2021F9 — Buddy
• Marvel Studios Legends — Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2021The Suicide Squad — Savant
• 2021Vivo — Lutador (voice)
• What If...? — Yondu (voice), Yondu Udonta (voice)
• 2020Fantasy Island — Damon
• 2020Love and Monsters — Clyde
• 2020The Dark Tower — Elred Jonas
• 2019Bolden — Pat McMurphy
• 2019Brightburn — The Big T
• Creepshow — Beau
• The Righteous Gemstones — Cobb Milsap
• The Rookie — Frank Teska
• 2017Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 — Yondu
• SEAL Team — Big Chief
• 2017The Belko Experiment — Bud Melks
• 2017The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking — Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
• CelebriD&D — Arnold
• 2014Elwood — Condello
• 2014Guardians of the Galaxy — Yondu Udonta
• 2014The Driving Dead — Trooper
• True Detective — Edward Hoyt
• 2013Brother's Keeper — Chief Carver
• 2012Hypothermia — Ray Pelletier
• 2012Pennhurst — Dr. Death, Director
• 2012Rogue River — Gas Attendent
• 2011Cell 213 — Ray Clement
• 2011Mysteria — Captain McCarthy
• 2010Atlantis Down — Father / Alien
• 2010Blood Done Sign My Name — Defense attorney Billy Watkins
• 2010DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection — Red Doc (segment "Jonah Hex") (voice)
• 2010DC Showcase: Jonah Hex — Red Doc (voice)
• 2010Louis — Pat McMurphy
• 2010Matadors — John Canterna
• 2010Super — Abe
• The Walking Dead — Merle Dixon
• Archer — Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)
• 2009Freeway Killer — Det. St. John
• Meteor — Calvin Stark
• 2009Penance — Mann
• 2009Super Capers — Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
• 2009The Marine 2 — Church
• 2008Humanzee! — Priest
• 2008Jumper — William Rice
• 2008Repo! The Genetic Opera — Thanks
• 2008This Man's Life — Richard Crummly
• Burn Notice — Dale Lawson
• Chuck — Mauser
• 2007Whisper — Sydney Braverman
• 2006Lenexa, 1 Mile — Russ
• Psych — Garth Lawnmore
• 2006Repo! The Genetic Opera
• Shark — Oscar Riddick
• 2006Slither — Grant Grant
• Thief — Detective John Hayes
• 2005Chasing Ghosts — Mark Spencer
• Criminal Minds — Chief Carlson
• 2004Skeleton Man — Captain Leary
• 2004The Eliminator
• Las Vegas — Marcus Wexler
• 2003On Thin Ice — Roger Hopkins
• 2003Saving Jessica Lynch — Colonel Curry
• 2003The Box — Detective Stafford
• Tremors — Kinney
• CSI: Miami — Marty Jones
• 2002The Outer Limits: The New Series - Time Travel and Infinity — Colonel Beckett
• 2002Undisputed — A.J. Mercker
• Crossing Jordan — Shawn Curaco
• 2001Replicant — Jake
• 2000Here on Earth — Malcolm Arnold
• 2000Newsbreak — John McNamara
• 2000Table One — Rowdy
• 2000The 6th Day — Robert Marshall
• 1999The Bone Collector — Captain Howard Cheney
• 1999Wicked Ways — Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan, Co-Executive Producer
• 1998Brown's Requiem — Fritz Brown, Associate Producer
• 1998Renegade Force — Matt Cooper
• 1998Shadow Builder — Father Vassey
• 1998The Replacement Killers — Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
• 1997Deceiver — Detective Edward Kennesaw
• 1997Keys to Tulsa — Keith Michaels
• 1997Meet Wally Sparks — Michael Rooker
• 1997Rosewood — Sheriff Walker
• 1997Song of Hiawatha — Bertrand
• Stargate SG-1 — Colonel Edwards
• 1996Back to Back — Bob Malone
• 1996Bastard Out of Carolina — Uncle Earle
• 1996The Trigger Effect — Gary
• 1995Johnny and Clyde — Frank Tennant
• 1995Mallrats — Svenning
• The Outer Limits — Colonel Beckett
• 1994Suspicious — Attendant
• 1994The Hard Truth — Jonah Mantz
• 1993Cliffhanger — Hal Tucker
• Fallen Angels — Babe McCloor
• 1993The Dark Half — Sheriff Alan Pangborn
• 1993Tombstone — Sherman McMasters
• 1992Afterburn — Casey 'Z' Zankowski
• 1991JFK — Bill Broussard
• 1990Days of Thunder — Rowdy Burns
• Law & Order — Jamie Yost
• Gideon Oliver — Detective John Quinn
• 1989L.A. Takedown — Bosko
• 1989Music Box — Karchy Laszlo
• 1989Sea of Love — Terry
• 1989The Edge — Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
• 1988Above the Law — Man in Bar
• 1988Eight Men Out — Chick Gandil
• 1988Mississippi Burning — Frank Bailey
• 1988Retreads
• 1987Light of Day — Oogie
• 1987Rent-a-Cop — Joe
• Crime Story — Lieutenant
• 1986Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer — Henry
• The Equalizer — Bill Whitaker
• Izzi — Sheriff Blackstone
• Pig Village — Steve
• Road Rage — Stony
• Scott's Dead — Mitch
• Survive the Night
• The Underneath: In Fortune's Shadow — The Man with the Answers

Appearances as themselves (15)

• 2021Clerk — Self
• 2021Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR — Self
• Dead Talk Live — Self - Guest
• 2020The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder — Self
• 2017Life After Flash — Self
• Ride with Norman Reedus — Self
• Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed — Self
• 2014The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half — Himself
• Talking Dead — Self
• 2010The Making of The Walking Dead — Self
• NSFW Show — Self - Guest
• 2005Erection of an Epic - The Making of Mallrats — Self
• 2005Portrait: The Making of Henry — Self
• 2002The Making of 'Tombstone' — Self
• 1993Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger — Self