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Michael Rooker

Michael Rooker

Acting1955Jasper, Alabama, USA

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).

Acting History

Future
Pig Village
as Steve
2025
Superman
as Superman Robot #1 (voice)
The Righteous Gemstones
TVas Cobb Milsap• 4 eps
Peacemaker
TVas Red St. Wild• 3 eps
2024
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
as Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan
Creature Commandos
TVas Sam (voice)• 1 eps
2023
The Out-Laws
as Agent Oldham
The Rookie
TVas Frank Teska• 2 eps
What If...?
TVas Yondu (voice) / Yondu Udonta (voice)• 1 eps
2022
White Elephant
as Gabriel Tancredi
Corrective Measures
as Warden Devlin
2021
F9
as Buddy
VIVO
as Lutador (voice)
Clerk
as Self
Marvel Studios Legends
TVas Yondu Udonta (archive footage) (uncredited)• 6 eps
Creepshow
TVas Beau• 1 eps
2020
2019
Brightburn
as The Big T
Bolden
as Pat McMurphy
True Detective
TVas Edward Hoyt• 1 eps
2017
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking
as Merle Dixon / Lucille's Father (voice)
SEAL Team
TVas Big Chief• 1 eps
2016
2015
Talking Dead
TVas Self• 1 eps
2014
2013
Brother's Keeper
as Chief Carver
2012
Pennhurst
as Dr. Death
Hypothermia
as Ray Pelletier
Rogue River
as Gas Attendent
Archer
TVas Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)• 1 eps
Pennhurst
Director
2011
Cell 213
as Ray Clement
Mysteria
as Captain McCarthy
2010
Louis
as Pat McMurphy
Atlantis Down
as Father / Alien
Super
as Abe
Blood Done Sign My Name
as Defense attorney Billy Watkins
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
as Red Doc (voice)
Matadors
as John Canterna
The Walking Dead
TVas Merle Dixon• 19 eps
Burn Notice
TVas Dale Lawson• 1 eps
2009
The Marine 2
as Church
Penance
as Mann
Super Capers
as Judge / Dark Winged Vesper
Meteor
TVas Calvin Stark
Psych
TVas Garth Lawnmore• 1 eps
Criminal Minds
TVas Chief Carlson• 1 eps
2008
Humanzee!
as Priest
This Man's Life
as Richard Crummly
Jumper
as William Rice
Shark
TVas Oscar Riddick• 1 eps
Chuck
TVas Mauser• 1 eps
Law & Order
TVas Jamie Yost• 1 eps
2007
Whisper
as Sydney Braverman
Crossing Jordan
TVas Shawn Curaco• 1 eps
2006
Slither
as Grant Grant
Thief
TVas Detective John Hayes
2005
Chasing Ghosts
as Mark Spencer
2004
Skeleton Man
as Captain Leary
Las Vegas
TVas Marcus Wexler• 1 eps
2003
The Box
as Detective Stafford
Saving Jessica Lynch
as Colonel Curry
On Thin Ice
as Roger Hopkins
CSI: Miami
TVas Marty Jones• 1 eps
Stargate SG-1
TVas Colonel Edwards• 1 eps
Tremors
TVas Kinney• 1 eps
2002
Undisputed
as A.J. Mercker
2001
Replicant
as Jake
The Outer Limits
TVas Colonel Beckett• 1 eps
2000
The 6th Day
as Robert Marshall
Here on Earth
as Malcolm Arnold
Table One
as Rowdy
Newsbreak
as John McNamara
1999
The Bone Collector
as Captain Howard Cheney
Wicked Ways
as Matt Draper / Dr. Matthew Swan
Wicked Ways
Co-Executive Producer
1998
Renegade Force
as Matt Cooper
Shadow Builder
as Father Vassey
Brown's Requiem
as Fritz Brown
The Replacement Killers
as Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Brown's Requiem
Associate Producer
1997
Rosewood
as Sheriff Walker
Meet Wally Sparks
as Michael Rooker
Deceiver
as Detective Edward Kennesaw
Keys to Tulsa
as Keith Michaels
Song of Hiawatha
as Bertrand
1996
Back to Back
as Bob Malone
1995
Mallrats
as Svenning
Johnny and Clyde
as Frank Tennant
Fallen Angels
TVas Babe McCloor• 1 eps
1994
The Hard Truth
as Jonah Mantz
Suspicious
as Attendet
1993
Tombstone
as Sherman McMasters
Cliffhanger
as Hal Tucker
The Dark Half
as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
1992
Afterburn
as Casey 'Z' Zankowski
1991
JFK
as Bill Broussard
1990
Days of Thunder
as Rowdy Burns
1989
The Edge
as Deputy Sheriff (Indian Poker)
Crimewave
as Bosko
Music Box
as Karchy Laszlo
Sea of Love
as Terry
1988
Mississippi Burning
as Frank Bailey
Eight Men Out
as Chick Gandil
Above the Law
as Man in Bar
The Equalizer
TVas Bill Whitaker• 1 eps
1987
1986
Crime Story
TVas Lieutenant• 2 eps

Social Media

IMDb

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
4/6/1955(70 years old)
Place of Birth
Jasper, Alabama, USA