
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).
TV Shows(30)

Creature Commandos
Sam (voice)

Peacemaker
Red St. Wild

What If...?
Yondu (voice)

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

What If...?
Yondu Udonta (voice)

Dead Talk Live
Self - Guest

Creepshow
Beau

The Righteous Gemstones
Cobb Milsap

The Rookie
Frank Teska

SEAL Team
Big Chief

Ride with Norman Reedus
Self

Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
Self

CelebriD&D
Arnold

True Detective
Edward Hoyt

Talking Dead
Self

The Walking Dead
Merle Dixon

Meteor
Calvin Stark

Archer
Sheriff E. Z. Ponder (voice)

NSFW Show
Self - Guest

Chuck
Mauser